The whimsical musings of the Art Deco style, and its sleeker denomination of Streamline Moderne, are visible only in limited doses throughout the area. That’s one reason why the Blair Building, constructed on Church Street in 1939 at the height of the movement, is so noticeable. The other reason is its optimistically bright pink exterior, which provides a beacon of color to the Downtown Decatur experience.
In the past year, the Blair has been undergoing a rejuvenation of sorts, spearheaded by preservationist and cultural developer Gene Kansas and his teams of designers. Gene, whose developments include Constellations in Sweet Auburn, and Indie Studios near Armour Yards, is no stranger to building communities of smaller businesses and nonprofits.
The renovation for the exterior was completed last year including landscape design by Howard Studio. Now, interior renovations are wrapping up, designed with individual and specific focus by Smith Hanes Studio and Ashley McClure of Studio Wythe. The first-floor plan remains fairly identical to the way the building was built as a multi-tenant office structure. Renovations include plaster repair, code updates, and new finishes and lighting that bring characteristics of the 1930s back into the interior: muted paint colors on the historic plaster walls and original door and trim add authenticity to the experience. Branding by Family Bros will be executed in old-time design techniques (with a touch of Wes Anderson thrown in) to provide an imaginative and laid-back experience. Upstairs, three pyramidal skylights and a new plan provide a very different experience: sunlight streaming in takes the experience journey away from the muted Film Noir of the first floor. An enameled wet bar in the Deco Conference Room, a new Lounge filled with light and greenery, and a streamlined Café for the Blair Building community round out the tenant amenities on this floor.
For leasing information, visit www.theblair.community
