What used to be a “waste of prime real estate” has been reborn in downtown Hapeville as a unique, adaptive-reuse project that incorporated a 1950s gas station long hidden in plain sight, according to the redevelopment team.
The historic, south ITP city in the shadow of the world’s busiest airport has been on a roll, in terms of investment that’s sparked a downtown revival. Porsche’s expanding North American headquarters, a Texas developer’s massive townhome project, and a nine-building Modera-branded venture are all located within a few blocks of Hapeville’s main commercial street. Ditto for the 1950s former Amoco station that’s been reborn as creative studios.
As designed by Source Urbanism, the new home of nonprofit Atlanta Printmakers Studio (formerly located at West End’s Met Atlanta complex) hosted a grand opening Saturday at 748 Virginia Ave. Renovators discovered the “hidden treasure” Amoco architecture beneath the unsightly 1970s façade of a building that had long been empty and in disrepair.
The long-vacant building was wrapped in a 1970s-era facade that obscured original architecture. via Atlanta Printmakers Studio/Vimeo
The resuscitated gas station was combined with brick-clad new construction to a create a 3,000-square-foot studio that Atlanta Printmakers Studio heads now describe as a “dream” space.
The building nearly doubles the previous working space for Atlanta Printmakers Studio, which was founded in 2005 to promote the art of printmaking and offer a diverse slate of educational programing. It allows for more equipment and presses, better parking, and “the ability to walk to the restaurants and shops of Hapeville,” as Studio leaders note.
The "Service Center" sign echoes the 1950s past today. via Atlanta Printmakers Studio/Vimeo
Head up to the gallery for a quick before-after project recap. And find a step-by-step video of the building’s rescue and expansion here.
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