Growing up in Atlanta, I always viewed it as a place where art flourished and people were allowed to express their creativity. The High Museum, SCAD Atlanta campus, even the graffiti art found around the metropolitan area have always given Atlanta a unique flair.
While an airport may not be the first place you would look if you were in search of unique artwork and one-of-a-kind installations, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport will soon house a stunning art piece that will allow travelers to feel like they are in the great outdoors.
The new installation, which has been deemed “Flight Paths,” will stretch a total of 450 feet between Concourses A and B and will completely simulate a rain forest experience. Even faux rain will be created through the use of lighting, according to the AJC.
This man-made nature walk comes with a hefty price tag, however, which explains why it took so long for this idea to come to life.
It was roughly 13 years ago that Steve Waldeck first thought of adding the faux rainforest to the world’s busiest airport but in the midst of economic uncertainty, it was difficult to find anyone who would sign off on the $4.1 million project.
Well, things have changed since then and the airport’s artistic transformation is finally underway.
By the end of summer or at the start of fall the complete installation will be ready for all to enjoy as they make their way through the busy airport. While a “sneak peak” of sorts is already available to see, the full lighting display along with the phoned in sounds of nature will not be added to the experience until the entire installation is ready to open.
Until then, passengers will simply have to make their own distant bird calls and gentle rain sounds as they make their way from one concourse to the next.
The new installation will be a part of an ongoing effort to make Atlanta’s airport more modern and this process could be underway for another eight years. This means there will be other notable differences spotted around the airport for any travelers who actually had the time to stop and admire their surroundings before their flight.
Some of the airport’s nearly iconic pieces of art, such as Joe Peragine’s “Brute Neighbors” (the Ceiling Ants) and Deborah Whitehouse’s “Spirit of Atlanta” mural, may be completely removed or partially covered up as a part of these artistic renovations.
