Architectural details
The building is cast in reflective glass in a cylindrical shape that reflects much of the downtown skyline (though each of the around 5600 windows are flat and not convex). Another small cylinder runs the full height of the building on one side, and accommodates two scenic elevators. The uppermost floors hold the Sun Dial Restaurant and Bar, a revolving restaurant that offers panoramic views of the city and its environs. The top floor of the restaurant completes a full revolution every 30 minutes, and the bottom every 60 minutes.
When the building first opened in 1976, the seven-story tall lobby atrium rose out of a half-acre, fountain-filled indoor lake[8] known as the "lagoon.” The lobby bar was surrounded by large, oval "cocktail islands" which appeared to float on the lake[9] and the entire area was decorated with tapestries, sculptures, cages with live birds and over 100 trees.[10] According to a contemporary postcard, architect Portman designed this area "as a modern interpretation of a Venetian Plaza".[11] In a newspaper advertisement, the hotel called the lobby "more like a park" and claimed it was "a total departure from any other you've ever seen."[12]
Not everyone was impressed, however. In a humorous 1982 column dismissing the extravagance of modern hotel lobbies, George F. Will complained that "Atlanta's Peachtree Plaza has a lobby that Lewis and Clark could not have found their way across". He compared the "pond-like body of water" to "a Walden in everything but charm in which you can drown yourself, which you might wish to do".[13]
Starting in February 1986, the lake was drained, and the lobby was redesigned as a more standard hotel gathering place with carpet, chairs, and sofas as part of a $11 million renovation. Portman stated the new atrium design was inspired by "a sophisticated Tivoli Gardens, with a lot of color and light and activities going on."[14]
The hotel was also notable for its Peachtree Ballroom, which was the largest in Atlanta when it opened, seating 3,500 people.[15] It has since been surpassed by the Georgia International Convention Center, which lays claim to having the largest ballroom in the state of Georgia.[16]
