This is a goner. Teardown week.

I wish they'd call me before they team them down.



I should have known. This house on Beverly hadn't looked it best in quite a while.





It's history now.





It's a big lot for the area with a big slope.





The house next door is handsome but it was at risk during the boom. It may still be at risk. This neighborhood is hot even in the bust.



I hope we get a good one. I'll let you know

Rhodes Hall After All These Years

Rhodes Hall was my first Pheonix Flies event this year. I'm embarrassed to tell you that it was my very first tour of the place. Shame shame.

A few years ago if you'd asked me if I like greenish Victorian era chandeliers with a fringe, I might have said no. Well, I'm starting to mature.

"Built in 1904, Rhodes Hall has been an Atlanta landmark for generations. While it was originally the residence of Rhodes Furniture founder Amos Rhodes, today it is a house museum and one of the most unique venues in Atlanta for social and corporate events. The upper floors of the "castle on Peachtree" are also headquarters for The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation." -the Georgia Historic Trust

We Atlantans know it as the Castle near where three of our Peachtrees join. That would Peachtree Street, West Peachtree Street, and Peachtree Circle if you are keeping peachtree score.


It's kind of foreboding, it's hard to park, and we're usually on our way somewhere else. That was my excuse.

Willlis Franklin Denny II designed Rhodes Hall. Mr. Denny died at 31 in 1905, youngest of Atlanta's died-too-young legendary architects. Neel Reid who worked for Denny died at 41. W.T. Downing died at 53.


So on a rainy Saturday morning I was the very first person at the very first Phoenix Flies event for 2011. This is Alan Kachur, my tour guide.


In 1904 this was the northern edge of civilized life in Atlanta. They must have had a great view from the porch. It's still a great view.


I fell in love on the porch. Each of the porch capitals is different.


Inside the bow is the grand staircase, lit by stained glass windows.


It's quite a sight.


Many brides have descended the stair.

This is quickly exceeding what my little brain and little camera can take in one day.


There is a glorious pink room that looks great with people.


There are fancy fireplaces.


There are green tile fireplaces.


Enough woodwork to please anyone.


The offices of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation are upstairs. It's nice up there. This is the small skylight.

I'd urge you to visit with a tour guide It's a great place. But you need to hear about the Rhodes family as well. Amos was certainly one of the most "useful men of his generation" in Atlanta.


Mr. Rhodes was kind enough to sit for this picture in the dining room.

Bill Lowe Gallery, artist Tom Swanston, & the Peachtree Pointe Lobbies

It's what you should do; it's what architecture tourists want: put art galleries in great lobbies so the view changes from time to time. Building managers should do it rent free for vignettes like these featuring artist Lita Cabellut.






So it is with Bill Lowe Gallery in Two Peachtree Pointe. Peachtree Pointe by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates, Inc. is a prominent terminal vista for Peachtree at Pershing Point - two curvy buildings that look like one. They are between WSB and The Temple in the Peachtree Street jumble.


Did you know that there is gallery in there, a spectacular space for spectacular art?


Bill Peace of Peace Design knows. Here's Bill (left) with one of his favorite artists, Tom Swanston.


Bill likes the birds which is no surprise once you see Tom Swanston's flocks of shiny silver and gold birds.




The birds seemed to fly from room to room.




Self portrait with the flock.


Mr. Lowe told me he'd designed the gallery for exploration. Up one balcony I found polar bears.


In an office this spectacular work by Hyunmee Lee.


I'd have a tough time sticking to business in this conference room.


So, you should go when you have a chance, when you are at the Peachtree Playhouse. or La Pietra Cucina.

See a little video?




All my pictures and videos from Bill Lowe Gallery that night.




One Peachtree Pointe has a lobby too, home of the SCAD Dewberry Gallery, a two-fer.

Meet some of Atlanta's modern archtiects

We met a bunch of Atlanta's modern architects at Modern Atlanta 10. If you read to the bottom, you'll find the horse lamp. This is an LED chandelier:


In the order of my picture taking.

This is Johnna Barrett of Barrett Design International, LLC. She designed "Spring Creek" which was on the tour.


We met Peter S.K. Yeung, A.I.A at the Eames Demetrios event. He was a fan (and architecture tourist) just like us.


Here are husband wife architects, Jose Tavel and Cara Cummins of Tac Studios. They designed the tour's Harris/Carroll residence shown in the picture. In the small world category: they live and work next door to my son.


We met architect John Bencich of Square Feet Studios (center) whose "Bencich Residence" was on the tour. On the right is builder Robert Soens of Pinnacle Custom Builders (right). Robert has done a number of modern houses including Decatur's RainShine House and the tour's Harris/Carroll residence.


Vivian Bencich is Principal, Interior Designer at Square Feet Studios. They designed the footbridge over the railroad at White Provision, one of the my very favorite structures in Atlanta.


In the center is architect Bryan Russell of Dencity Design who the did the

Liotta Residence on the tour. (If you are getting all modern'ed out, see the Dencity house at Alys Beach.) On the left is Clair Bannerman host of "Our Coastal Art Scene with Claire Bannerman" on 30-A Radio. On the right is Kara Thomas, designer with Habachy Designs who worked on the Liotta house.

This is architect, Joseph Dreher, responsible for the new "bridge" and major renovations of the tour's Wollaert Residence. Joe is an alumni of Peter Block Architects.


I'd like to thank my fellow Sunday Docents Christy Nixon, Rochelle Cole, Caitlin Henry, and to Matt-Dahlhauser from Cablik Enterprises, builder of the Liotta Residence. And thanks to the the owners who allowed us to spend a wonderful day enjoying their house.


I'd like to say hello to fell docent Allan Price, architect at Pieper O'Brien Herr Architects. Wish I'd gotten a picture.

Terry

I promised a horse lamp:

Six Atlanta design bloggers lunch with blues titans at Fat Matts

On Monday six Atlanta design bloggers ate BBQ at Fat Matt's Rib Shack.

From left to right: Holly from Things That Inspire, Helen Young from Whitehaven, Terry Kearns (me) from Architecture Tourist, James from Limestone & Boxwoods, Claire Watkins from High Gloss Blue, and Blayne Beacham from This Photographer's Life (In Search of a Style)

Some of us had met, some hadn't. It wasn't exactly like we'd been childhood friends. But we certainly weren't strangers. We had plenty to talk about.

We didn't do any business, elect any officers, make any plans. We just ate sweet, saucy, tummy-filling sandwiches and gabbed.

Here is our closeup. A hansdome bunch, I think.


This may be our better side. I do love the pulled pork sammy levitating over my head. If you haven't been to Fat Matts, you order at the counter. At 11:30 A.M. the food got to our table before we could sit down.


Fat Matt's shows it's glorious face on at the corner of 3 in-town neighborhoods: Morningside, Piedmont Heights and Ansley Park. It's red, yellow, and green, with over-sized ribs floating in the window.


Across the street is Rock Spring Presbyterian Church which is on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. Fat Matts is one of the few places where you can comfortably take it in.


I think a city that allows these two beauties across the street from each other is doing something right.


We missed other great Atlanta bloggers. We'll do another in April if we can.

Thanks,
Terry
terry @ surf303.com