Midtown Office Tower Lobby
Midtown, Atlanta · Commercial Lobby Renovation
Project Type
Commercial Renovation
Location
Midtown, Atlanta
Year Completed
2023
Building Era
1962 Beaux-Arts Tower
Scope
Lobby & Common Areas
The Project
A Historic Lobby, Reimagined
The Midtown Office Tower was built in 1962 — a confident Beaux-Arts commercial tower at the heart of Atlanta's business district. By the time we were engaged, its lobby had absorbed five decades of deferred maintenance and three ill-conceived renovation cycles that obscured its original character beneath drop ceilings and fluorescent light.
Our mandate was to restore what was worth saving and build the rest to match. Working from original 1962 architectural drawings sourced from the Atlanta History Center, we uncovered Tennessee marble floors under carpet, restored the original plaster cornice, and reintegrated the building's Neoclassical proportions into a lobby that now reads as cohesive and intentional.
All mechanical systems — HVAC, electrical, fire suppression — were replaced in-place without disrupting tenant operations above. The renovation ran on a live-building schedule across 14 months.
“Benson was the only contractor who understood the building's history and brought a plan that honored it while modernizing every system. The result is a lobby tenants are proud of again.”
— James Whitfield, Building Owner
Project Gallery
4 of 18 photos shown
Scope of Work
What We Built
Full lobby gut and structural remediation
Original Tennessee marble floor restoration
Plaster cornice restoration and ceiling reinstatement
Full mechanical, electrical & fire suppression replacement
New security desk & reception millwork
Elevator lobby, corridors & restroom modernization
Materials & Finishes
Craft & Material
Flooring
Restored 1962 Tennessee marble, honed finish, inlaid brass border detail
Walls & Ceilings
Restored plaster cornice, limestone-finish wall panels, coffered ceiling with concealed LED
Metalwork
Matte black steel handrail, unlacquered brass elevator surrounds, custom security desk frame
Millwork
Fumed white oak reception desk, book-matched walnut wall panels, site-built lobby bench seating
The Challenge
Live-Building Renovation
The tower remained fully occupied throughout the 14-month renovation. Tenant access, deliveries, and lobby function never stopped. We phased demolition and construction across nights and weekends, coordinating with 23 tenant suites and the building's property management team on a daily basis.
14
Months on live building
23
Tenant suites coordinated
100%
Zero tenant disruption complaints
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