With the success of Ponce City Market came the redevelopment of the surrounding context, which continued with 725 Ponce, now carried on with 715 Ponce.
715 Ponce is the new addition to this masterplan which faces one of the most important streets in Atlanta, Ponce De Leon Avenue; in an area of the city that was slowly deteriorating but has been going through a transformation over the years. This project seeks to connect surrounding neighborhoods such as Somerset to Atlanta’s greenway, promoting interaction, activity, and inclusivity.
The site currently exists as a parking lot serving a very iconic liquor store (Green’s), and the recently renovated Ford Factory that sits on the west.
715 Ponce consists of two masses that appear to be shifting in opposite directions, conceptually simulating a stone cracking. The bottom mass serves as a parking garage, and the top as private offices. The “crack” caused by the “shift” of these two masses functions as a passageway that includes retail spaces. It becomes a physical connection between the surrounding neighborhoods and Atlanta’s Belt Line.
The Crack
The concept stems from nature, where different natural forces brake a stone and nature re-grows in between the cracks.
In this instance, we interpret the forces that break the stone as the directionality of the surrounding neighborhoods and Atlanta’s greenway. This greenway has consistently been part of projects that S9 has worked on such as, Ponce City Market and 725 Ponce. They share a commonality which is that they have a linear physical connection between each other.
Pedestrian Connection
To create a better connection and pedestrian experience between the 715 Ponce and the Greenway, we extended a table top closer to 725 Ponce from where the users can reach the greenway. 715 Ponce’s passageway has the intent to create a physical connection with Somerset neighborhood and to serve as retail and main entrance to the offices above.
Contextual Relationship
A design intent for this building is to relate to the historic Ford Factory building across the road. The brick patterns and modular configurations were taken and transformed into a more modern approach.
Gallery
