| Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in 2012 | |
 Interactive map of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel area | |
| Hotel chain | Westin Hotels |
| General information | |
| Location | 210Peachtree Street NW Atlanta, Georgia,United States |
| Coordinates | 33°45′34″N84°23′19″W / 33.75943°N 84.38855°W /33.75943; -84.38855 |
| Opening | February 27, 1976 |
| Management | Marriott International |
| Height | Roof: 723.0 ft (220.37 m) Antenna: 883 ft (269.1 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 73 |
| Floor area | Meeting space: 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | John Portman & Associates Ai Group |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 1,068 |
| Number of suites | 40 |
| Number of restaurants |
|
| Parking | 300 spaces |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| References | |
| [1][2][3][4] | |
The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, is askyscraperhotel onPeachtree Street indowntown Atlanta,Georgia, adjacent to thePeachtree Center complex and the formerDavison's/Macy's flagship store with 1,073 rooms. At 723.0 ft (220.37 m) and 73stories, a total building area of 1,196,240 sq ft (111,134 m2)[5] and a 187 ft (57 m) diameter, the tower was the tallest hotel in the world upon completion in 1976. Today, it is the fourth-tallest hotel in theWestern Hemisphere, and the28th tallest all-hotel building in the world.[6]
The first building on the site was the first officialGeorgia Governor's Mansion in Atlanta, aVictorian-style home purchased by the state in 1870 at the southwest corner of Peachtree Street and Cain Street (later International Boulevard, nowAndrew Young International Boulevard). After housing 17governors of Georgia (each limited to a singleterm of office) until 1921, it wasdemolished in 1923 for theHenry Grady Hotel, named forAtlanta Constitution newspaper journalist/magnate andphilanthropistHenry W. Grady. That and theRoxy Theatre were in turn demolished for the current building.
Designed by architectJohn C. Portman Jr., the hotel opened on February 27, 1976[7] as thePeachtree Plaza Hotel, managed by Western International Hotels. The hotel was Atlanta's tallest building until 1987, when it was overtaken byOne Atlantic Center. It was the tallest hotel in the world for a year, until it was surpassed in 1977 by its architectural twin, the Detroit Plaza Hotel, the central tower of the Portman-designedRenaissance Center inDetroit. It was also the tallest building in thesoutheastern United States, toppingOne Shell Square inNew Orleans. It lost that title in 1983, when theSoutheast Financial Center inMiami was built. It was the tallest building indowntown Atlanta for 13 years until it was surpassed by191 Peachtree Tower, which in turn was topped bySunTrust Plaza (then One Peachtree Center). It still has more floors than any other building in Atlanta, as well as the state of Georgia.
Western International Hotels was rebranded as Westin Hotels in 1981, and the hotel was soon after renamedThe Westin Peachtree Plaza. The hotel was heavily featured in the 1981 filmSharky's Machine starringBurt Reynolds. StuntmanDar Robinson, doubling forHenry Silva at the end of the film, dropped 220 feet (67 m) from what appeared to be the Westin Peachtree Plaza, setting a record for the highestfreefall (unrestrained) jump from a building in a film. In actuality, however, the stunt scene was filmed at the nearbyHyatt Regency Hotel, using its shorter but similar cylindrical-shaped Radius Tower.[citation needed]
The building is cast inreflective glass in acylindrical shape that reflects much of the downtown skyline (though each of the around 5600 windows are flat and not convex). Another small cylinder runs the full height of the building on one side, and accommodates two scenic elevators. The uppermost floors hold the Sun Dial Restaurant and Bar, arevolving restaurant that offers panoramic views of the city and its environs. The top floor of the restaurant completes a full revolution every 30 minutes, and the bottom every 60 minutes.
When the building first opened in 1976, the seven-story tall lobby atrium rose out of a half-acre, fountain-filled indoor lake[8] known as the "lagoon.” The lobby bar was surrounded by large, oval "cocktail islands" which appeared to float on the lake[9] and the entire area was decorated with tapestries, sculptures, cages with live birds and over 100 trees.[10] According to a contemporary postcard, architect Portman designed this area "as a modern interpretation of a Venetian Plaza".[11] In a newspaper advertisement, the hotel called the lobby "more like a park" and claimed it was "a total departure from any other you've ever seen."[12]
Not everyone was impressed, however. In a humorous 1982 column dismissing the extravagance of modern hotel lobbies,George F. Will complained that "Atlanta's Peachtree Plaza has a lobby thatLewis and Clark could not have found their way across". He compared the "pond-like body of water" to "a Walden in everything but charm in which you can drown yourself, which you might wish to do".[13]
Starting in February 1986, the lake was drained, and the lobby was redesigned as a more standard hotel gathering place with carpet, chairs, and sofas as part of a $11 million renovation. Portman stated the new atrium design was inspired by "a sophisticatedTivoli Gardens, with a lot of color and light and activities going on."[14]
The hotel was also notable for its Peachtree Ballroom, which was the largest in Atlanta when it opened, seating 3,500 people.[15] It has since been surpassed by theGeorgia International Convention Center, which lays claim to having the largest ballroom in the state of Georgia.[16]
Several localbroadcasters have transmitted from anantennamast atop the building, beginning when it became Atlanta's tallest, but declining sinceothers have been built around it.[citation needed]
The original antenna once carried the signal ofWUPA TV 69 from the time it first went on-air as WVEU, but that station moved because the Westin tower lacked space for an antenna to send the station'sdigital television signal. TwoLPTVstations currently transmit from the top:analogWTBS-LP 26, and digital-only WTHC-LD 42.1.[17] As of 2009[update], WTBS-LP is moving to theBank of America Plaza, from the same antenna as co-ownedWANN-LP/WANN-CD, and possibly future digital WTBS-LD 30.
The main FM antenna, the four large elements seen at the top of the mast in both outdoor pictures on this page, recently belonged toWZGC FM 92.9 ("92.9 The Game"), while a smaller antenna still carries backup signals for that station and previously forWVEE FM 103.3 ("V-103"), both owned byCBS Radio. WWWQ FM 100.5 ("Q100", then “Rock 100.5”, nowWNNX FM (“99X”) first used the same antenna when it moved to Atlanta, before it upgraded and relocated within the city, but it has since switched back.WSTR FM 94.1 ("Star 94") also shared the main FM antenna with 92.9 when it was originally installed, with the power from both stations'transmitters being combined into a single antenna through adiplexer. Both WSTR and WZGC still list this as theirallotment location.[18]
There is also anXM Satellite Radiorepeater.[citation needed]
On March 14, 2008, the Westin sustained severe damage when a tornado tore through downtown Atlanta, with over 500 windows broken. It was the first tornado to have hit the downtown area.[19] The building swayed back and forth two feet in either direction, as it was designed.[20]
By 2009, the Westin was the only building in downtown Atlanta to have not replaced its broken windows, which instead were still covered with black-paintedplywood on the outside, anddrywall on the inside. This is because the1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) uninsulated glass was no longer made byPPG Industries, and even identical new windows would look mismatched because ofweathering due to three decades ofsunshine. Additionally, newbuilding codes requireinsulated glass that can withstand winds up to 90 miles per hour (145 km/h) instead of 75 miles per hour (120 km/h), necessitating heavier and more expensive glass. Replacement of all 6,350 windows was expected to begin in June or July 2009 and continue from the top down until summer 2010 at a cost of over $20 million.[21][22][23] Like the original, the new windows are also mirrored, but feature a slightbronzetint. Each pane measures 52 in × 110 in (130 cm × 280 cm) and weighs 270 lb (120 kg) with four panes required for each room. More than 600tons of glass were to berecycled.[20][24]
Skanska completed the Westin Peachtree Plaza exterior window renovation in September 2010.[25] On November 9, 2010, renovation of the Sundial Restaurant at the top of the building was completed, repairing tornado damage done to it two years prior.
