It was designed by Kenneth Johnson in 1965 as a C&S Bank branch at 1289 Moreland Avenue SE, in Atlanta. *

Another Google's-eye view. The bank employees drove through the forest to arrive down at the parking lot to the right of the complex. Customers parked in the lot at the bottom of the screen and entered Utpopia via an elevated walkway. *

view from the customer parking lot *

The building is a climbing helix. Each segement is a bit higher than its neighbor, such that the ceiling of the lowest segment is even with the floor of the highest. *

below the walkway is the drive-up banking window. *

Tall trees grow out of the center of the courtyard, framed by the spires which also vary in height along their circuphrence. *

The set-away round room on the left is the vault. The stiarcase with circular platform and railing leads to the night drop box. *

Another view of the nightdrop stairs and drive-up window. *

closeup of my favorite staircase ever! *

Here is the vault room. The short connecting corridor had ceiling to floor windows. *

sadly, someone came through recently and chopped away a great deal of the bamboo that once filled the grounds. *

drive-up banking at its finest *

the vault *

since a majority of the building is on stilts, it is very comfortable to walk around below and be able to see clear across the lot, the building encased in nature. very light and airy. *

this is only springtime. summer may bring insects? *

employee entrance? *

what would it take to convert this into a series of apartments and workspaces for an energetic collective? *

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welcome to the courtyard *

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courtyard3574.JPG *

courtyard3576.JPG *

courtyard3577.JPG *

courtyard3580.JPG *

courtyard3581.JPG *

courtyard3582.JPG *

this had been a fountain *

courtyard3589.JPG *

this and the next four are a series, left to right.
1..... *

....2.... *

....3.... *

....4.... *

....5.... *

courtyard3595.JPG *

i think that must have been the manager's office up there. *

uh oh, i hope he wan't GOING for 'tiki'! *

this is the round vault. it could be a sensory deprivation chamber. *

this windowed hallway runs along the inside of the ring... *

...with the rooms along the outside. *

this opens to the upstairs breezeway *

from inside the drive-up window. *