With the start of the new school year, Atlanta Public School’s Midtown High School and design firm Cooper Carry unveiled a 63,000-square-foot addition to the nearly 100-year-old campus. The project includes art installations, functionality improvements and a new “front door” for the school, formerly known as Grady High School.
The new four-story addition houses classrooms, a counseling suite, indoor/outdoor laboratory spaces, a rooftop plaza and a modern media center. The new media center is one of the main points of pride for the school, particularly because of the striking, two-story mural. Cooper Carry joined forces with Midtown High School’s Chairman of Fine Arts John Brandhorst to collaborate on the vibrant artwork. Brandhorst helped identify former student and internationally known artist Alex Brewer, also known as Hense, to design the mural. Brewer volunteered his time and talents to create the design for the inviting and dynamic space. He is known for his abstract paintings featuring vivid colors and geometric shapes.
The ground floor of the new building includes 7,500 square feet of engineering and technology labs and shop space, with roll-up garage doors for easy transfer of equipment and outdoor learning. Upper floors include classrooms, computer labs and science labs. All rooms have excellent views, either looking over Piedmont Park to the north or the historic Charles Allen Building to the south. Cooper Carry leaned into the needs of the school and incorporated a rooftop plaza to be used for outdoor science experiments, activities, and events.
“We immediately recognized the historic significance of this project and worked with our in-house preservationists to help guide the design strategy. We were thrilled that the project included restoration of the Charles Allen Building’s original 1923 masonry facade. Brick and stone have been cleaned and repointed, the 12 unique urns gracing each end of the building have all been carefully restored, some requiring significant reconstruction,” said Katy Daugharty, Senior Associate at Cooper Carry. “In our mission to balance the old with the new, we intentionally contrasted the architectural style of the new addition with that of the historic structure. Using the proportions of the old building as a guide, the floorplate steps back at the top floor, and the proportion and spacing of the new windows reflect that of the old. We also achieved a cohesive aesthetic by pulling from the historic brick color palette to inform the new building’s colorway, continued the terrazzo into the new space and incorporated granite into our design as a nod to other buildings on the campus, Piedmont Park and homes in the surrounding neighborhood.”
Cooper Carry created a glass connector between the new and old building that now serves as the school’s front door. It also encloses the courtyard and creates a protected and private study stair for students to gather. To meet the needs of the school district and neighborhood, the front lawn of the school was carefully re-constructed to include a new porous paver entrance drive with visitor parking. Mr. Brandhorst also assisted in restoring the school’s pencil sculpture on the front lawn. The sculpture is a neighborhood favorite; it was created by students in the 90s in collaboration with the High Museum. The 10’ tall fiberglass pencil has a prominent new placement balancing in front of the new school entrance.
Cooper Carry improved functionality throughout the existing buildings by enhancing connectivity and organization of classrooms and departments. Cooper Carry reworked the administrative spaces, upgraded the theater, and performance gym lobby and expanded the cafeteria. Roofs and mechanical systems were replaced throughout.
Midtown High School was renamed from Grady High School in June 2021. Students voted to rename the notable school in December 2020. Parrish Construction Group served as the Construction Manager for the project. The historic Charles Allen Building was originally constructed in 1923 with an addition in 1949. Atlanta architect Phillip Shutze, famed for his neoclassical architecture, is credited with the design. Shutze designed many Atlanta landmarks including the Swan House, the East Lake Golf Club and The Academy of Medicine.
For more information on Midtown High School, please visit atlantapublicschools.us/midtown or coopercarry.com.
ABOUT Cooper Carry
Cooper Carry provides architecture, planning, landscape architecture, interior design, experiential graphic design, branding and sustainability consulting services. Founded in 1960, the firm specializes in the design of education, government, hospitality, mixed-use, office, residential, restaurants, retail, senior living, science + technology, and transit projects. The firm has designed projects in 45 states and globally in the Caribbean, Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Central America. Cooper Carry approaches its work as a collaborative ecosystem. Its multiple studios and services come together daily to provide each project the depth of knowledge needed to meet and exceed objectives. Cooper Carry’s leaders are advocates and authorities for their specialties, empowered by decades of expertise to make decisions that prioritize placemaking, civic space, and the greater good of communities, tenants, residents, and visitors. For more information, visit Cooper Carry’s website at coopercarry.com and follow the design firm on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
