The concept of a new park capping Ga. 400 in the heart of Buckhead—now called “Buckhead Green”—may or may not get built, but it has already won a design award.
An early design produced by the firm Jacobs on behalf of the Buckhead Community Improvement District won the “People’s Choice” award in the “unbuilt project” category from the Georgia chapter of the American Institute of Architects on April 16.
“The Buckhead Green will significantly enhance and expand ongoing improvement efforts in the Buckhead area and provide an opportunity for a great urban park in an area where open land is not available,” the AIA Georgia Association said in a press release.
The Buckhead CID more than a year ago proposed the park, which would cover about 10 acres over the highway between Lenox and Peachtree roads. Jacobs’ conceptual illustrations show the park covered with lawns, trees and various buildings, some with sculpture-like structures and some with green roofs.
The award, based on an online vote, was given at an event at the Millennium Gate Museum at Atlantic Station. While the award reflects the “people’s choice,” the CID itself has sometimes balked at funding the park’s design study, with some board members questioning whether it proper work for the CID and has enough public input.
