#switchyardsdowntownclub

[grailatl]

Annnndddd just like that, we’re back, with an invite to ESCAPE the day to day. August 4th, we will be teaming up with @alexfaithatl @killemcollect @orwellsworld @josias_music @tonyri_chard @skylanerunit to unveil our “Escape Pack.” @alexfaithatl will also be debuting his SIMPLE MINDS project. All GRAIL goods 10% off for those in attendance. #befound at @switchyards #atlanta #befound #grailatl #atlantevents #atl #switchyardsdowntownclub #alexfaith #fashion #theescapeatl #atlantafashion #atlantafashionblogger #atlantastreetwear (at Switchyards Downtown Club)

[umisays519]

The business of social media. The business of Umi Feeds. . . . . #umifeeds #morethanjustfood #umismobilemarket #yoursocialteam #workshop #switchyards #marketing #switchyardsdowntownclub #atlanta #atl #branding #socialentreprenuer #girlboss #lovewhatyoudo #education #createyourlife #nonprofit #philanthropy #socialimpact #socialgood (at Switchyards Downtown Club)

[leventmagic]

Just arrived at #switchyardsdowntownclub for the #madesignishuman event #modernatlanta #ma16 #ricohtheta360 #theta360 #sphericalphotography @madesignishuman (at Switchyards Downtown Club)

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Designing the basement pit with Flags of Origin. What was once (is) an eye sore is going to be one of the more interesting pets of the renovation.

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Switchyards Downtown Club in 1933. Map via Atlanta Time Machine

“It’s all about ‘placemaking’ today and if you can create a special place in an existing office building with great bones and character, you have a chance to bring something to the market. The impact can and will be dramatic as older buildings are preserved and repositioned and a new generation of users are exposed to some of Atlanta’s greatest architectural gems. It’s back to the future.” - AJ Robinson, Central Atlanta Progress

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Demo is done. On to the renovation. Pics from this morning.

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This is the best old map of Atlanta hands-down. 1919 Foote & Davis Co. hand-drawn showing the Western & Atlantic RR Yards and SDC (thanks to our friends at Photoshop). 9 years before Switchyards was built. The level of detail is fantastic. 

Yesterday’s post on the origins + plans for Western & Atlantic, our coffee shop.

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Photographs well for an 87-year-old

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An homage to early 20th century city clubs but singularly focused on the future... design-focused startups.

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Ground floor, June 26, 2015. Future: Western & Atlantic coffee bar and event space/theatre.

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There’s soul in a space

In a recent blog post called “Why a space is so important?” we outlined our reasons for wanting to create a consumer & design focused space in Atlanta. Reason #4 in this post was that buildings have personalities. Ever since publishing this post we’ve been fixated on this very fuzzy notion that all kinds of things (like people, places and brands) just have a feel to them. It’s difficult to explain why…they just do.

So we decided to dedicate this blog post to a good example of what we mean by that.

As we were thinking about this topic, we ran across a documentary called Muscle Shoals on Netflix. It’s about how a special spot in a unique town produced an incredible amount of amazing music over the years. As soon as we watched this documentary, we said “that’s it!” That’s the best example of what we mean by “buildings have personalities.”

It’s easy to point to physical structures (like buildings) and believe that the bricks and mortar are what matters most when it’s actually the soul and people that are connected to the place. That’s not something that you can calculate in a spreadsheet or measure analytically. You just know it when you feel it.

This type of work is defined by truth, passion and heart. This is the type of work that we will encourage and celebrate at Switchyards because this type of purpose and authenticity truly resonates with consumers.

It’s easy to look at co-working spaces and be enamored with all the amenities that make a new startup easier and more fun. While founders are the customers that we’ll serve and we want to serve them as best we can at Switchyards, starting new companies is hard work. We believe that this soul and community is what matters most in creating winners.

We love the first line of this article:

“This area has always been a site of dreams getting real. From a rag-picker’s desire to have a home for his family to a technology incubator that launches design-centric brands for consumers. It’s 151 Spring Street, the soon-to-be Switchyards Building.”

If you haven’t seen the Muscle Shoals documentary, watch it this weekend! Then we’d love to hear your thoughts on Twitter.

And please join us on a tour of Switchyards to get a feel for yourself.

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Demo has begun! Peeling back 90 years of construction.

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View from our roof: Ted Turner Building & Ferris Wheel.

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Front stairwell