Centennial Park

Centennial  Park

By Andrew Ewing

            Centennial Park is one of the most recognizable features Atlanta has left from hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics.  Sitting on 21 acres, this park has become a place for family and friends to come and visit year around. This area was once an eyesore, filled with old warehouses and empty storefronts, but is now a can't miss destination in Atlanta.

            One of the main features throughout this park are the water features.  Located at the south end, is the fountain commemorating the Olympics. The Fountain of Rings is the world’s largest interactive fountain utilizing the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting Rings. Each ring is approximately 25 feet in diameter. With seating around the fountains this becomes a wonderful place to sit, relax, and let the kids play in the fountain. Several other key water features are located around the perimeter of the park.  Because the park is located in the city there is a considerable amount of noise pollution.  As a result fountains were placed along the perimeter to cut down the noise.  When walking through the park there is very little traffic noise, instead just the soothing sound of water flowing. These water features have also formed little parks within Centennial Park. Within these little parks are statues and monuments commemorating the Olympic champions. Also located in one of these little parks is the Quilt of Remembrance which honors the victims who were killed or injured in the Olympic bombing.  This features a mosaic of stones from around the world to honor the 111 people injured in the explosion and an eternal light shines in memory of Alice Hawthorne, who perished.

            This park is an excellent example of how great an effect the Olympics can have on a city.  There are many tourist attractions located near or adjacent to this park. The Georgia Aquarium as well as the Coca Cola Museum are located at the north end of the park. Both have been constructed in the last few years. While the aquarium and museum are two unique pieces of architecture, they use the park to form a courtyard to move between.  These three features have become a must see destination.

            This park served as a successful centerpiece to the Olympics and has had a lasting impact on the city. There are several successful ideas from this design that would translate well to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic plan and help make their Legacy site even more of a success.