John C. Portman Wins Prestigious Award

Downtown Atlanta

ATLANTA— John C. Portman, Jr. has won the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes his contributions for the overall architectural look and feel of Atlanta, with a special focus on the hotel sector. “Atlanta would be a very different city without the vision of John C. Portman, Jr., and the hotel industry would be much more drab,” says David Marvin , president of AHA. “Having designed and built some of this city’s most iconic buildings and hotels, including the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Peachtree Center, SunTrust Plaza and Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Mr. Portman literally has helped architecturally reshape ‘southern hospitality.’  We can think of no better recipient for this inaugural honor.” Known for his signature mix of modernism and brutalism, highlighted by massive atriums and long, glassy elevators, Portman’s buildings can be found in 60 cities on four continents. Beyond Atlanta, Portman is responsible for 151 Incheon Tower in South Korea, the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore, the Marquis Theater in Manhattan and the iconic Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, among others. Born December 4, 1924 in Walhalla, S.C., Portman opened his Atlanta-based architectural firm, known today as John Portman and Associates , in 1953. The firm is part of the Portman Family of Companies, which also includes Portman Holdings , a r eal estate development company, and AmericasMart, a home décor wholesaler. Portman has received many awards for his work, including the 1978 Medal for Innovations in Hotel Design from the National American Institute of Architects; 1980 Silver Medal Award for Innovative Design from the Atlanta Chapter, American Institute of Architects; 1984 Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence – for Embarcadero Center; 2009 The Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; and the 2013 Four Pillar Award from the Council for Quality Growth. In 2011, the Atlanta City Council renamed Harris Street in Downtown Atlanta as John Portman Boulevard at Historic Harris Street. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1950. “Mr. Portman has a true passion for creating spaces that are meaningful and impactful for people,” says Charles Pinkham , vice president of development, Portman Holdings . “He focuses on creating experiences, and the architecture evolves from that vision.”