The Center, Atlanta (must see)

The building now known simply as The Center remains a prominent part of Atlanta’s skyline, though its long-standing association with CNN reached its final chapter in early 2024. After nearly four decades as the global headquarters for the 24-hour news network, CNN completed its relocation, marking the end of an era that closely tied the site to broadcast journalism and international media. Today, the building is no longer a functioning news hub but is undergoing a major transformation into a premier mixed-use destination under the ownership of CP Group.

Originally developed in the early 1970s as the Omni Complex, the structure was conceived as a large-scale urban centerpiece combining hotel, arena, and public gathering space. Its vast enclosed atrium—once among the largest in the world—set the tone for the building’s identity as a place designed to impress, circulate crowds, and host large public events. That spatial ambition carried through its CNN years, when live broadcasts, studio windows, and constant foot traffic turned the interior into a rare blend of newsroom and tourist attraction.

Today, the downtown site is being reimagined as a hub for world-class dining, retail, and entertainment, positioned as a gateway between Centennial Olympic Park and State Farm Arena. The redevelopment focuses on activating the ground level and opening the building more directly to the surrounding streetscape, with the goal of reconnecting it to Atlanta’s pedestrian flow and major event venues.

While the building’s purpose has shifted, its most famous architectural feature remains a point of distinction. The 196-foot freestanding escalator—once the starting point of the CNN Studio Tour—is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest of its kind in the world. Although the guided tours that made it famous were permanently discontinued, both the escalator and the soaring atrium remain central to the renovation plans, now envisioned as part of a more open and welcoming public zone known as Hawks Plaza.

New dining concepts, event-ready gathering spaces, and interactive digital art installations—developed in collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design—are being introduced to give the interior a contemporary cultural edge. Even without its namesake news organization, The Center continues to function as a visual anchor for downtown Atlanta, bridging its media legacy with a new role in the city’s entertainment and urban life.