Bridging the Last Divide
Ivan Allen, Jr. Legacy Bridge, GA
Along an iconic bridge in Atlanta, Signature Design created an outdoor museum experience where colorful ribbon-like sculptures and interpretive installations tell the story of Atlanta’s growth into a vibrant international hub.
Services
Outdoor Museum Design
Interpretive Storytelling
Graphic Design
Content Research & Writing
Video Production
Design Approach
The Ivan Allen, Jr. Legacy Bridge honors the mayor who guided Atlanta through one of the city’s most critical decades. When Mayor Allen took office in 1962, Atlanta was a small southern city at the center of the civil rights movement. On his first day in office, Mayor Allen desegregated city hall. His leadership on civil rights and other issues transformed Atlanta from a segregated and economically stagnant city into a progressive dynamic place.
To honor his legacy, Signature Design was contracted to design an interpretive tribute on the bridge that bears Mayor Allen’s name. With the goal of turning the entire bridge into a story, Signature Design envisioned sculptural ribbons of color that symbolize the evolution of Atlanta from a small southern city to the international metropolis it is today. Thus, one end of the bridge bears red, white, and blue ribbons that morph and grow into an explosion of colorful ribbons at the other end.
Along the bridge’s pedestrian pathway, Signature Design created a display that tells the story of Mayor Ivan Allen and of Atlanta’s transformation from a railroad hub to an international city of culture and commerce. Interpretive reader rails combine historical images and text and provide access to more information via a dedicated website and video documentaries.
