From the outside the Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel doesn’t look much different from any other tall downtown building in America. Upon closer inspection you might notice that the building flares out at its base. Because of this it is sometimes called the “Pregnant Building” or the “Coca Cola Building” because it does look like an old-fashioned glass soft drink bottle.
The inside of the building has an entirely different feel. The hotel is hollow up to the ceiling, which is one big skylight. This atrium is 470 feet high (47 floors) and is quite stunning. In fact, when the building was completed in 1985 this was the largest atrium in the world. The atrium rises to the building’s full height (554 feet) and is divided into two vertical spaces by a column of elevator shafts with bridges extending to the rooms on the exterior of the atrium. The whole thing is made of concrete giving it a futuristic otherworldly feel.
John Portman Jr. designed and developed the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. He is was an American neo-futuristic architect, known for his multi-storied atria. Portman Architects describes their building as “… a monumental project designed and developed by Portman. Comprised of 1,663 rooms and a dramatic 50-story atrium, the hotel is organized to contain public activities within the podium, while reserving the sculptural tower for guest rooms and suites.”
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis’ interior:
The hotel has been used in filming for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Flight, Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Loki series. You might recognize these scenes:
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Loki
Photos simply don’t do the interior of this amazing place justice! It is definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in Atlanta.
Image Credits:
- Exterior and Interior Shots: The Wrangler
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Panem Propaganda
- Spider-Man: Homecoming: ComicBook.com
- Loki: Atlanta Magazine
- Featured Image: Portman Architects