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The latest home for Atlanta’s joint center for French and German language and culture will be located downtown at Peachtree Center, a move both flagship organizations believe will set the stage for future growth.
The Alliance Française d’Atlanta and the Goethe-Zentrum have shared space since 2009 in a rare arrangement that capitalizes on synergies that come from representing two of Western Europe’s largest economies and most influential cultures.
The neighboring nations have steadily deepened their alliance since the Elysee Treaty of 1963, a pivotal moment the cultural center celebrates with annual programs. Global Atlanta first reported on their plans to branch out into a new space after covering their Elysee Treaty webinar last year.
The organizations operated at Colony Square in Midtown until 2020, when the pandemic cratered enrollments, cut off events and forced a wholesale shift to new models of remote learning.
Set to open in January 2022 officially, their shared downtown home will front a newly refreshed plaza nestled among the towers and opening onto Peachtree Street. The office will include classrooms, an auditorium and a reception space opening to the outdoors.
Leaders of both organizations emphasized the ongoing transformation of downtown and the opportunities that come with proximity to the German and Belgian consulates, the Rialto Theater, Georgia State University and other cultural assets that help knit together Atlanta’s “international fabric,” Alliance Française Director Richard Keatley told Global Atlanta.
Peachtree Center itself, which boasts more than 2.3 million square feet of office space, in 2019 completed a $25 million renovation that modernized and brightened common areas and added colorful art installations to the set of beige towers designed by famed Atlanta architect John Portman. Delivered mostly in the 1960s and ‘70s, the towers connect to each other via a network of skywalks. The center includes three hotels with more than 4,000 rooms. The Hub, its labyrinthine underground food court and mall, is home to more than 50 restaurants and is also directly connected to a MARTA train station.
“Atlantans who have not been to Peachtree Center in the last two years will hardly recognize it,” Dr. Keatley said in a news release. “We were very impressed and excited by the accessibility, quality and beauty of the center. I can see our teachers having class at the tables outside or playing pétanque on the patio.”
Goethe-Zentrum director Oliver Gorf, who arrived in Atlanta as the pandemic spoiled hopes for live events, said the central location and gathering space there were important selection criteria as the organizations look ahead to an era not defined by COVID-19 restrictions.
“For us, it was very important that this space serve not just as a school – though it will have plenty of lovely classrooms – but also as a cultural center,” he said in the release.
The centers have received some European funding to help with the relocation, including an award of €48,500 ($56,750) from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs announced Sept. 21. That comes after a €55,000 ($66,000) grant last year in support of new learning technology, bringing the total French government support of the center to more than $120,000.
In a Global Atlanta interview Wednesday, French Consul General Vincent Hommeril said the French government supports the co-location of the organizations as a sign of Franco-German friendship and is pleased with the new premises.
“We are really certain that they will have great success in this new location,” Mr. Hommeril said.
The Franco-German Cultural Fund last year also kicked in funding for a yearlong series of joint programs on the impact of climate change on contemporary culture, a grant that Mr. Gorf said represents a “new level” of collaboration.
As for language classes, while the center will not open officially until early next year, the Alliance Française on Oct. 2 will begin a special limited fall session of in-person classes at the new space. Learn more and sign up here, using the code GLOBAL for a 10% discount.
The Goethe-Zentrum’s fall quarter classes start Sept. 27, with some levels held online and others beginning in person at the Alliance Française’s separate north-metro center in Roswell.
Direct questions, suggestions or donation inquiries to Dr. Keatley at director@afatl.com or Mr. Gorf at oliver.gorf@goetheatlanta.org.
Read more: French, German Cultural Centers to Deepen Collaboration, Find New Joint Offices
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