Save Old Newspaper Building

Atlanta has a long history of demolishing its beautiful historic buildings. Known for its rapid growth and modernization, the city has sacrificed much of its architectural heritage in favor of new development. This trend has been ongoing for decades, leading to the erasing of Atlanta’s cultural history and the irreversible modification of the city’s built environment. With so many of Atlanta’s great historic buildings gone, we must preserve what still remains. Currently, Downtown Atlanta’s most dilapidated and historically significant building is the Atlanta Constitution Building. Once a beautiful gem, this neglected old structure sits on the corner of Forsyth St. and Alabama St. and becomes more and more of a ruin each day. Built in 1947 and currently vacant since 1972, the Atlanta Constitution Building has now become an eye sore for the Five Points area, looking more appropriate to fit in a post-apocalyptic film than its current setting. The Atlanta Constitution Building needs to be rehabilitated due to its historical significance associated with Ralph McGill, Julian Harris, and of course, the Atlanta Constitution newspaper. The building is also the last significant example of Streamline Moderne architecture in Atlanta. Furthermore, the building’s prominence in Downtown Atlanta has the potential to bring a much-needed revitalization of the Five Points area. This thesis will adapt the building to be a state-of-the-art mixed-use building with public programs. Similar to the successful Ponce City Market, the Atlanta Constitution Building can become another option of a one-stop-shop for Atlantans to get their shopping, food, beverages, entertainment, and socialization. Because of the building’s historical significance of being newspaper production facility, this thesis will also explore the design for its rehabilitation through the lens of how the newspaper has become a dying artform amidst today’s domination of digital media.