The gallery, located on the first floor of the former Atlanta Journal and Constitution (AJC) Building at 72 Marietta Street, is now home to Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management. Renovated and renamed 2 City Plaza, the building's lobby showcases a city-run art gallery, which hosts exhibitions addressing relevant topics such as civil and human rights, memory and ritual, and the rise of hip-hop.

To announce the gallery and the promise of the art within, the EYP integrated design team incorporated an exterior 2,500 SF architectural "ribbon" element whose dynamic twists and bends recall the movement of paper through the AJC's printing presses. The ribbon playfully extends up the back wall behind the reception desk, traverses the lobby ceiling, and passes through the existing vestibule that merges with the entry canopy of the building. The element further extends up the south building facade, approximately 8 stories high.

This grand architecture gesture highlights the new marquee that glows against the existing building façade and flows into the interior — it's intended to encourage pedestrians to step inside and explore the first-floor galleries. Made of powder-coated aluminum, the ribbon's fins twist, converge, and are perforated to both reveal and conceal the green surface of the marquee ceiling and wall behind. Inside, pure white flexible galleries provide the open floor plan needed to exhibit a diverse range of work. The modulation of light throughout the spaces offers a full gradient of exhibition possibilities.

Gallery 72 is a testament to the arts and their ability to transform the face of a neighborhood. The winding ribbon and inviting marque serve to entice visitors to explore the City's diverse artistic landscape.