— By Cassie Keeler —
Case study: How The Battery Atlanta™ renovated its restrooms to be more durable and well-functioning.
The Battery Atlanta™ is a bustling and unprecedented entertainment experience situated alongside Truist Park — a haven for baseball fans. Spanning 2.25 million square feet, The Battery Atlanta combines numerous restaurants, stores, parks and entertainment venues and is open to the public 365 days a year, not just on game days.
The Challenge
The design team was tasked with transforming a parking manager’s office and two unisex restrooms into a pair of high-capacity men’s and women’s bathrooms.
“We were challenged to create as many new restroom stalls as possible within a restricted footprint,” recalls Wes Taylor, RA, NCARB, Taylor Design Studio.
“We looked for a product that could provide a timeless aesthetic while being durable and easy to clean,” says Paula Wideman, founder of design firm paulaproduct.
Weather also played a factor in the design. “Being adjacent to the baseball stadium, which is subjected to a range of weather conditions and extreme summer heat, it was important to both the design team and Ownership to provide a cool and comfortable space while visually creating a ‘rest’ room from the hot Georgia summers,” Taylor adds.
The Solution
After considering other partition models, Taylor and Wideman decided that our company’s Euro-style floating partition model — “Float” for short — provided the perfect balance of appearance, durability and cost.
“Float adds a sleek vibe to the aesthetic while providing privacy with virtually no sight line,” Taylor says. “Mortised hardware was a big selling point to withstand heavy use and traffic in these types of spaces.”
Adds Matt Wolfenbarger, senior operations manager for The Battery: “Float partitions are by far the most durable, well-functioning partitions we have on-site. I’d love to transition to all of these in the future. They are designed for extremely large and heavy crowds.”
The men’s and women’s restrooms were equipped with a combination of partition stalls, urinal screens and basins made of natural quartz and dual handwashing fixtures that house both touch-free soap and water. They also selected branded washroom accessories, including mirrors, full height vanity mirrors, as well as handwashing and install accessories, such as grab bars. These particular accessories feature a curved, pill-shaped design that unifies restrooms with a similar aesthetic.
“We designed these spaces with an overall cool palette,” explains Wideman. “The partitions are dark gray and the wash bars are matte black as a contrasting detail. The countertop is a sparkling white with a black apron. The accessories are stainless steel, and the grab bars, with their curvilinear edge, are some of the best-looking we have ever specified and seen installed.”
Creating a Clean, Cool and Cohesive Appearance
While European-style floating partitions provide a minimalist design with flush surface construction, their robust and durable material is lightweight and easy to install and clean. With the feet and headrail hidden from sight, the floating effect creates the impression that the partitions are floating on air.
The dual wash bar keeps handwashing elements close by for an accessible and intuitive handwashing experience. The all-in-one fixture features completely touchless handwashing technology to limit touchpoints and is available in a selection of finishes, shapes and models. The option selected for The Battery is a convenient alternative when another hand drying method is preferred while minimizing extra clutter of separate handwashing components.
A key selling point for The Battery’s owner and maintenance team was the option to incorporate the wash bar’s multi-feed top fill soap feature, which allows soap to be refilled from above the sink.
“With no handles or levers, a large and efficient soap tank and a seamless easy-to-clean basin, the [wash bar] has been a maintenance game changer,” says Wolfenbarger.
To add functionality and cohesion, the accessories create an elevated aesthetic. With the widest selection of washroom accessories available, this branded collection is available in multiple finishes that are easy to clean and fingerprint- and corrosion-resistant.
“I love [the] accessories’ slim, oval shape and assortment of finishes,” adds Wideman. “The assortment of accessories that we selected neatly tie the washroom together.”
— Cassie Keeler is product manager-fixtures for Bradley Company. For more than 100 years, Bradley Company has created the most complete and advanced commercial washrooms in building markets worldwide. Email the author at [email protected].