Century Center Part I

The Century Center office park in suburban DeKalb County, Georgia is a good example of Peter Muller's The Outer City (1976) from the Suburban Reader (essay 12.1, reading for Oct. 26, 2009) as well as some of the other materials we read. Begun in 1971 (and still under development...Gables Century Center apartments opened recently), this mixed-use complex of large, mid-size, and small offices (ranging from one to 18 stories) also comes with a 15-story hotel (Marriott Century Center) and, more recently, a residential component. Spacially oriented as a "mini-city," with curvilinear parkways winding amongst well-spaced (sprawling) trees and grass, Century Center combines the suburban ideals of being both auto-friendly and eco-friendly. Conveniently located just two exits outside the Atlanta city limits, right off I-85 and Clairmont road, this mini-city development has two entrances, one on the I-85 access road (easily visible to cars passing on the interstate) and the other on Clairmont Road. Yet one also gets a sense of nature (there is a lake; a winding creek; lots of trees; the office park is surrounded on two sides by wilderness). The tallest building, the 18-story 1800 Century Center tower, is a glass-walled facade that blends in with the blue sky. The 11-story AT&T buildings do as well. The shorter, white-walled buildings have the look of almost a lab, much like the IBM think-tank offices of the past. Winding footpaths, places to eat outside, even places for dogs to run around, all make this a place where work doesn't have to be all work and no relaxation. Situated close to suburban residential areas, one could easily commute a short distance to work. Finally, for those who choose multi-modal transit, a shuttle bus from the hotel runs to the nearby Brookhaven MARTA station.