Hyatt Regency Atlanta and Georgia State University’s Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design unveiled a new landmark for downtown Atlanta, an 18-foot rooftop mural celebrating the hotel’s innovative Polaris Bee Garden.
The mural, visible from the newly opened Polaris rotating restaurant and lounge and surrounding buildings, is the latest feature of the Polaris Bee Garden, a 2,500-sq. ft. rooftop space that produces fresh tomatoes, herbs, peppers and bee honey – 25 stories over Peachtree Street.
Students at Georgia State’s Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design created the mural, which represents the 60,000 honeybees that call the rooftop garden home. The mural is the result of a yearlong class project for the students, in coordination with Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
“The student mural is another great story surrounding Polaris and its return to the downtown skyline,” said Peter McMahon, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Atlanta. “Georgia State has done so much to revitalize downtown, they were the perfect partner to bring something new and inventive to the Polaris experience.”
The bees depicted in the mural came to the hotel in 2013 through the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association. The Association rescued the Polaris bees from a truck accident, and eventually found them a permanent home on the roof of Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
The bees produced their first fresh honey in August, yielding some 20 lbs. Polaris “Blue Dome Honey” will be served in Polaris dishes and cocktails, and later made available for guests in the hotel gift shop.
Nine Ernest G. Welch students created and presented design concepts for the mural, under the guidance of Ernest G. Welch School director Michael A. White and assistant professor of graphic design Jeff Boortz. Graphic design student My Nuong Thi Tran created the winning design.
The Georgia State design team included producer Pamela Barba, creative director Akeem Mason and designers Carlos Acosta, William Garcia, Michael Pearce, Brittany Hester, Brandon Polack and Catherine Trugman, all members of the university’s student-run design agency, ++good.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta Executive Chef Martin Pfefferkorn created the Polaris Bee Garden in 2013 as part of Hyatt’s “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served.” initiative, which promotes serving local, healthy ingredients in Hyatt dining experiences. In addition to the bees and plants, the Bee Garden features its own rainwater irrigation system, solar lighting and the only peach tree on Peachtree Street.
For more information about the Polaris Bee Garden and its new wall mural, please visit the Polaris Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/PolarisAtlanta.