Atlanta BeltLine: Eastern Quadrant
SITE INVENTORY & ANALYSIS
ATLANTA BELTLINE
PROJECT BOUNDARY
LOCATOR MAP
VIRGINIA AVE UNDERPASS
Graffiti as local, informal art
COOLEDGE AVE. NE
NE
PIEDMONT PARK
ROE
DR.
METAL SCULPTURES
MON
HENRY W. GRADY
HIGH SCHOOL
PONCE DE LEON PL. NE
PIEDMONT PARK
CREATIVE & INFORMATIVE
SIGNAGE
PARIS ON PONCE
A 15-years old boutique shop
SOUTHERN MAGNOLIAS
A pair of historical trees that must
be preserved
NEW LOFTS
Formerly a Ford factory, this building gives
glimpse into Atlanta’s industrial past
PONCE DE LEON AVE. NE
WIRE SCULPTURES
GLEN IRIS DR. NE
A reflection of local fauna and
flora
PONCE CITY
MARKET
PAINTINGS ON WALLS
Local art can add visual interest to
hardscapes along the Eastside Trail
NORTH AVE. NE
PONCE CITY MARKET
Originally belonging to Sears, this historical building became
Atlanta’s City Hall. It was Atlanta’s first skyscraper and is
now undergoing major renovations that will incorporate
restaurants, retail, and both office and living space.
SCULPTURES
E
HISTORIC FOURTH WARD PARK
L
Completed in 2012 as part of the Atlanta BeltLine
project
L
GI
FREEDOM PKWY UNDERPASS
GRAFFITI
New uses for old forms
FR
EE
DO
M PARKWAY
HISTORIC
FOURTH WARD
PARK
.N
D
V
BL
C
H
P
AL
M
R
WILLOUGHBY WAY NE
RHINOCEROS SCULPTURE
Way-finding art installations
COMPOSITE MAP
SCALE: 1”=300’-0”
LEGEND:
NORTH
INDUSTRIAL UTILITY
CIVIC USE
MINOR ROAD
HISTORIC MAGNOLIA TREE
RESIDENTIAL
(single-family & town homes)
MIXED-USE
EXISTING PUBLIC ART
PROJECT BOUNDARY
RESIDENTIAL
(multi-family & high-rises)
SIGNIFICANT IMPERVIOUS
SURFACE
CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT
BUILDINGS
EXISTING MAJOR PARKS
RECREATIONAL
HIGH TRAFFIC MAJOR ROAD
POTENTIAL TRAIL ACCESS
COMMERCIAL
MEDIUM TRAFFIC ROAD
EXISTING TRAIL ACCESS
QUYNH PHAM
ATTRACTIVE VIEWS
PROPOSED TRANSIT STATION
LAND 4900 · PROFESSOR VERMA · SPRING 2014
Atlanta BeltLine: Eastern Quadrant
ILLUSTRATIVE MASTER PLAN
The Atlanta BeltLine is an expansive development project to be completed in 2030.
An essential goal of the BeltLine is to connect various communities within the city of
Atlanta through the implementation of pedestrian pathways and public transportation.
In a proposed redesign of the eastern quadrant, which includes the BeltLine’s Eastside
Trail, the concept of connection guided the design process. The existing Eastside
Trail anchored the design by providing a meaningful direction in which to orient the
surrounding community.
The site, like much of Atlanta, has a rich history and culture. The project site extends
one block eastward and westward of the Eastside Trail, within which lies a multitude of
land uses, including commercial, industrial, single-family housing, multi-family housing,
mixed-use, and recreational green spaces.The design seeks to connect these different
parts of the eastern quadrant into a united community with a distinguished identity.
The proposed design strives to weave together spaces, people, nature and city, and
the past, present and future.
Gestalt, or the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, is wonderfully embodied in tapestries.
A tapestry consists of several individual threads that are woven together to create one cohesive image. If
one is to consider a tapestry to be the analogy of a community, then the residents, the many shops and
restaurants, the diverse spaces and places, and streets themselves are the many threads that weave into
a whole. The better these elements are woven together, the stronger the tapestry, and in this sense, the
stronger the community.
COOLEDGE AVE. NE
PIEDMONT PARK
The Eastside Trail runs from the northern end to the southern end of the project boundary, and therefore
functions as the main thread that unites the entire site. Along the Eastside Trail are four transit stations
for the BeltLine’s streetcar. The design places great emphasis on the four transit stops by suggesting the
placement of an urban plaza at each location. The forms of these plazas were informed by the shape of
knots, and thus appear as knots that fall along the thread that is the Eastside Trail. Like knots, the urban
plazas’ purpose is to tie the community together as social hubs that bring people together.
PONCE DE LEON PL. NE
MON
ROE
DR.
NE
HENRY W. GRADY
HIGH SCHOOL
PIEDMONT PLAZA
MAN-MADE WETLAND
GLEN IRIS DR. NE
PONCE DE LEON AVE. NE
PONCE CITY
MARKET
ART
MUSEUM
NORTH AVE. NE
The Ponce City Market plaza is the largest of the four and serves as the gravitational
center of the site. It is for this reason that the streets are oriented towards
this area. Another goal of the design is to orient the surrounding community
towards the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. In order to achieve this end, multiple green
corridors extend from the edge of the project boundary to the Eastside Trail.
These green corridors are dispersed throughout the site in order to provide
all areas of the eastern quadrant a pedestrian-friendly means of accessing the
trail. The many pathways introduced in this design not only helps to physically
connect the community, but also allows people to travel throughout the area with
ease, promoting physical wellness and the intermingling of people. This increased
interaction will in turn result in a greater sense of community among residents
and visitors, hence unifying all parts into a unified whole.
LPH
RA
HISTORIC
FOURTH
WARD
SKATE
PARK
FR
ILL
G
MC
E
D. N
V
L
B
EE
DO
M PARKWAY
HISTORIC
FOURTH
WARD
PARK
LEGEND:
COMMERCIAL
WILLOUGHBY WAY NE
MASTER PLAN
CIVIC USE
RESIDENTIAL
(single-family house)
MIXED-USE, 1-4 STORIES
(retail, restaurants, offices)
RESIDENTIAL
(multi-family housing)
MIXED-USE, 5-9 STORIES
(retail, restaurants, offices)
QUYNH PHAM
SCALE: 1”=300’-0”
NORTH
PEDESTRIAN CORRIDOR
LAND 4900 · PROFESSOR VERMA · SPRING 2014
Atlanta BeltLine: Eastern Quadrant
ILLUSTRATIVE DETAILED PLAN
RETAIL
DOWN
N
The form of the site is informed by the shape of
a knot that unites two strings into a symmetrical
geometry.The knot symbolizes an important function
of the BeltLine; connection. The design reinforces
the concept of the community as a tapestry by
incorporating forms that represent the many threads
that come together to make the whole. It also aims
to capture the site’s rich history.
RESTAURANT
DOW
AREA OF
DETAILED
PLAN
The Market Plaza, located at the center of the
site, connects the BeltLine, Ponce City Market, and
proposed commercial core. Its vibrant, dynamic
and interactive design aims to generate a lively
and thriving place to denote as the heart of the
community.
TRANSIT
STATION
DOWN
OPEN PLAZA
LOCATOR MAP
The Market Plaza acts as a magnet for people. Ponce City Market and Paris on
Ponce are existing attractions, and shops and an art museum are proposed. The
museum would further the area’s association with local art, which is displayed along
the Eastside Trail. Art reappears in the paving pattern that displays ribbons of color
coming together at the plaza’s center, signifying the union of members from all
corners of the community. Also, amphitheater seating connects the BeltLine and
Ponce City Market, which are currently separated by a 16-foot drop. It is ADA
accessible and includes garden spaces as well. Visual connection to the city is also
achieved through an overlooking deck with views of Atlanta’s skyscrapers.
SCULPTURAL
WATER FEATURE
N
DOW
N
DOW
DOWN
SCULPTURE
GARDEN
AMPHITHEATER
SEATING
AMPHITHEATER SEATING
ART
MUSEUM
OVERLOOK
DECK
EMERGING RIBBONS INTERACTIVE SCULPTURE
Historically, this area has been a place of recreation. It was home to a variety of attractions:
• natural water features (2 creeks and an allegd medicinal spring)
• man-made lake
• amusement park
• Atlanta’s Cracker’s baseball stadium
Throughout its history, people came to enjoy whatever form of entertainment the site had to
offer. It is in this way that the Market Plaza commemorates the site’s history.
DETAILED PLAN
SCALE: 1”=30’-0”
NORTH
SECTION ELEVATION: A-A
SCALE: 1”=30’-0”
SCULPTURAL WATER FEATURE
Two water features honor the old creeks and spring. One is a sculptural misting device
where people can cool off during warm southern days. The second has running water
on pavement to entice people to step in and feel, in the way people had done with the
healing spring. In addition, artistic sculptures emerge from the pavement. inviting people
to amuse themselves by climbing, crawling, sitting, or simply touching them. Furthermore,
the amphitheater seating is a remembrance of the old stadium, where users can sit or play
amongst its unpredictable form. These abstract interpretations meant to conjure the site’s
history encourage the community to recall the past while keeping an eye on the future and
the exciting possibilities that it holds.
QUYNH PHAM
SECTION ELEVATION: B-B
SCALE: 1”=30’-0”
LAND 4900 · PROFESSOR VERMA · SPRING 2014