Marietta Street, once part of a dynamic commercial district, has suffered since the 70’s of a commercial decline, that gave birth to a lot of parking lots on the street, and gaps in what was earlier a solid wall of store fronts. The new Health Center is therefore created as an urban building, aligned with the street and offers various points of access, in order to reactivate Marietta’s sidewalks.

 

The project gives the appearance of a monolithic building, but has a certain porosity that allows for crossing views and a walkway between Marietta Street and the campus through a planted courtyard.

The Health Center is designed as one level to facilitate its organization, and is organised around patios that give natural light and intimacy to each exam room. The waiting rooms are spread along the patios and the open hallway that links them. A multiplicity of waiting rooms allows the patient to go along a journey and to never have the feeling of going backwards, nor of waiting in a crowded area.

The spa is located on the northern portion of the site. It can be accessed from the street or from the courtyard. Taking advantage of a natural slope of 5 meters high, the swimming pools are built overhanging the campus’s park. The street below disapears from view when one is in the central courtyard. One is floating over the trees. The different pools are built on various levels, creating a journey that brings the guests to the roof terraces swimming pools which are oriented south.

 

The auditorium, café and restaurant each have seperate entrance to allow for some flexibility in the opening hours. The café opens on the ground floor onto the courtyard, whereas the restaurant, on the top floor, opens onto Atlanta’s skyline.