The Atlanta Preservation Center has a group called CIRCA that, once a month, tours an historic or architecturally significant building. Last night's tour was the Millenium Arch. I've not been a big fan of the arch but I have to admit that the tour has given me a newfound appreciation for this structure. I still don't like the commercial aspect or the location/orientation and feel that the box on the roof is a huge distraction but, aside from that, its quite impressive.
The original design showed four huge bronze statues, 2 on either side of the arch (on the side facing east, urns have been placed where the 2 statues will go). I was glad to hear that they are still in the works but there are a few hurdles to overcome before they are a reality.
The interior of the arch features a 12,000 sf museum that is fascinating! Its very well done and quite informative as it traces the history of Atlanta and the coastal regions of GA. One area has a huge screen with google street-type images that allows a visitor to zoom around the city. You can scan to within inches of some of the buildings and there are several options to click on icons to learn more about what is in the area.
Another screen features photos (with narration) of different areas of the city. By waving your arm in front of the screen, it changes to what the view would have been decades prior to the current shot...think 'Atlanta Then and Now' by waving your arms instead of turning pages. My words do not do either of these interactive screens justice.
The roof (with the previously mentioned box) is available as an event facility but the roof itself holds about 50 people. The views are among the most stunning I've seen in the city. Looking down 17th street is very impressive and will be even better once The Atlantic is complete.
For now, its only open by appointment (404-881-0900) but they are in the process of staffing and should be open regular hours in the near future.
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"I hate small towns because once you've seen the cannon in the park, there's nothing else to do." Lenny Bruce
Last edited by (four 0 four); Nov 12, 2008 at 8:11 PM.
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