A versatile, highly desirable space built to host festivals, concerts, film, and corporate activations, with festival grounds sized for 8,000+ attendees.
Destination Concept · 2025
Creative Quarter
Seven acres in Midtown to converge Atlanta's music, art, and technology.
(Concept) The Opportunity
Georgia Tech issued an RFP for the development and management of a 7.0-acre site on the western edge of campus, bordered by Marietta Street, State Street, and Tech Parkway.
In less than six weeks, I created a concept and assembled a team. Together we developed a business model, a site plan, and a proposal to transform the site into a premier destination for arts and entertainment, anchored by a first-of-its-kind immersive music experience.
The proposal was not selected and did not move forward.
A culturally significant, immersive destination that draws tourists and locals alike, and gives Atlanta the attraction its cultural output has always deserved.
The Approach
Four objectives guiding the build.
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Rapid & Cost-Effective Activation
Stand the site up quickly as a fully functional, versatile venue for outdoor festivals, concerts, film, and corporate activations, rather than waiting years for permanent construction.
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Cultural Relevance
Engage Atlanta's most celebrated and influential musicians and artists to create instant interest locally and nationally, with cross-culture collaborations that spark something new.
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Premier Events
Actively program, promote, and produce events, leveraging existing industry relationships to attract top-tier partners across music, film, arts, and entertainment.
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A Sustainable Business
Balance self-produced events, venue rental, and sponsorship so the site is financially durable rather than dependent on any single revenue stream.
The Site Plan
Designed to be flexible before it is finished.
Every element is adaptable. Staging, layout, and vendor configurations shift to fit anything from a corporate rental to a multi-stage festival.
Turf Field
A multi-purpose artificial turf field with circular designs inspired by soccer balls. Festival grounds for 8,000+, plus parking, activations, and events.
Container Park
A permanent mural village housing a vendor market, green room, VIP area, and a stand-alone experience in its own right.
Art Street
High-visibility installations along bustling Marietta Street, designed to captivate attention and create an iconic visual landmark.
Randall Bros Pavilion
Reclaimed wood-beam pillars, a portable stage structure, and flexible shade for vendors, food trucks, staging, and activations.
Art & Sculpture
Reclaimed railway platforms and sculpture woven through the site, so the space reads as art-centric even when nothing is programmed.
35-Foot Walkways
Wide enough for two-way traffic with room to spare for vendors and food trucks along the edges.
The Attraction
An immersive experience that brings sound to life.
Inside the site's 30,000 square foot warehouse, an ever-evolving experience pairing embedded audio, interactive storytelling, and Georgia Tech collaborations.
Immersive Music Boxes
Each 360-degree music room is a portal into a new reality. Projection mapping, interactive music technology, robotics, and custom set design turn a rotating playlist into something you walk through.
Exhibit Space
Art, technology, and sound in one ever-changing room. Guests experience each piece through a corresponding audio track, deepening the connection between what they hear and what they see.
Museum & Gallery
Artifacts, art, and storytelling that set the stage, answering what Atlanta's cultural impact actually is, and who its trailblazers were.
Creator Studios
Studios where visitors make their own music and video rather than only consuming someone else's.
Merch & Food Lounge
Exclusive merchandise, curated food and drink, and somewhere to sit down. Retail and rest in the same room.
The Entrance
A gateway built to create anticipation, introducing guests to the world of the place from the moment they arrive.
Why Here, Why Now
Why Atlanta
A global capital of hip-hop for decades, and a hub for film, fashion, and tech. The influence is undeniable, and unhoused. No world-class attraction reflects the city's cultural legacy, present impact, and future innovation.
Why Now
Atlanta is on track for continued rapid growth, fueled by rising investment, transformative infrastructure projects, and major global events arriving in quick succession.
Why Georgia Tech
A globally recognized leader in engineering and technology, and North America's top public university for producing tech-driven graduates. The interdisciplinary collaboration the attraction needs is already on campus.
The Timing
A World Cup 1.4 miles away.
The proposal was built around a specific window: Atlanta hosting FIFA World Cup matches for the first time, with the site positioned as the city's premier hub for immersive fan experiences.
- 7
- Matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- 1.4 mi
- From the stadium to the site
- 30+ yrs
- Since the U.S. last hosted
The 2026 tournament ran June 11 to July 19 across sixteen cities in three countries. Atlanta had never previously been a host city, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber projected 300,000 unique spectators, roughly three quarters of them travelling from outside Georgia.
The plan was to treat that window as an accelerant rather than the whole business: a flagship fan engagement zone of event series, installations, watch parties, and hospitality, building visibility that outlasts the tournament.
The Collective
Mike Walbert
Business development, sponsorship & audience
Drives strategic business development, sponsorship acquisition, and audience engagement to ensure the site's cultural impact and viability.
Josh Antenucci
Event production & venue operations
Leads production, talent booking, and venue operations, establishing the site as a premier live entertainment destination.
Greg Mike
Creative vision & experiential
Shapes the site's creative direction across large-scale murals, interactive installations, and multi-sensory experiences.
Mario Cambardella
Lead landscape architect
A landscape architect and urban designer focused on sustainable, community-driven spaces, leading the site's landscape design.
The Proposal
Excerpts from the proposal: the strategy, the site, the venue, and the immersive experience.
Download the proposal