John Portman retrospective

For W*129 we took a trip to Entelechy II, John Portman’s Sea Island summer house and arguably the most concrete expression of the architect’s philosophical wrangles. You’ll have to visit page 178 of the new issue for the full story and interview, but on wallpaper.com we’re celebrating what Portman is most renowned for – the creation of the atrium hotel.

From the 1967 Hyatt Regency in his hometown of Atlanta to the Shandong Hotel and People’s Hall in Jinan, China in 2003, Portman has made the soaring atrium his signature stamp. Here we’ve rounded up a comprehensive gallery of our favourites from Portman’s extensive portfolio.

Our research also led us to a timely exhibition celebrating the length and breadth of the architect’s 50-year career, which recently opened at the High Gallery in Atlanta. Showing architectural models and sculptures alongside a series of canvases, previously unseen in public, we thought it only appropriate to include a selection of installation photographs to turn our own gallery into a comprehensive retrospective of Portman’s extraordinary creative output.

12 November 2009 | Architecture