Three interesting facts about the 212.45 m (697.0 ft) Georgia-Pacific skyscraper in downtown Atlanta.
1The building is on the former site of the Loew’s Grand Theatre. In 1939 the premiere of the film “Gone with the wind” was held in this Theatre. Due to being a historic landmark the theatre could not be demolished until 1978 when the Theatre burned down. The circumstances of this fire still remain to some locals mysterious and perhaps more than coincidental paving the way for the new Georgia-Pacific building.
2Architects were Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The building has 52 stories of office space and was finished in 1982. It has a stair-like design and is clad in pink granite quarried from Tate, Georgia. The tower is the world headquarters of Georgia-Pacific. Today, the Consulate-General of the United Kingdom is located in the building, in addition to other companies.
3In 1985 the building served as a filming location for the action film “Invasion U.S.A” starring Chuck Norris and Richard Lynch. The final battle between the U.S. army and the army of international terrorists was shot at the Georgia-Pacific Tower.
Loew’s Grand Theatre
Loew’s Grand Theater (originally DeGive’s Grand Opera House), was a movie theater at the corner of Peachtree and Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta. The theater was built in 1893 by the Belgian consul Laurent DeGive. It hosted many concerts and opera productions over the years. After the theater was purchased by the Loews organization in 1927, it was renovated to become a grand movie theatre.
The premiere of Margaret Mitchells “Gone with the Wind” was held there in 1939. All the stars of the film attended the premiere, except for the African American actors who were not welcome in segregated Atlanta society. Georgia artist Davis Cone painted the Loew’s Grand in his series “Popcorn Palaces”.