The busy corner where Andrew Young International Boulevard meets Peachtree Street now has some of the most colorful pavement downtown. Atlanta designer Sarah Lawrence created new artwork for all four crosswalks at the intersection for Downtown Atlanta Inc., and each one carries a different chapter of the neighborhood's story.
Walk the west crosswalk and you are crossing a pattern borrowed from athletic track markings. It is a tribute to the 1996 Olympic Games and the way that summer became a defining moment in Atlanta's global identity. The theme suits the location, since Centennial Olympic Park sits a short walk west along the same boulevard.
The east crosswalk is built around a globe, with the letters ATL worked into its lines. Downtown Atlanta Inc. describes the idea as a signal of connection and movement, shared impact, and a city whose reach travels well past its own borders.
Borrowing from downtown buildings
The other two sides take their cues from architecture. The south crosswalk uses art deco shapes meant to reflect downtown's historic craftsmanship, modeled specifically on the elevator gate inside the William-Oliver Building.
The north crosswalk looks to the glass elevators at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, designed by John Portman. Downtown Atlanta Inc. notes that Portman's buildings shape how people move through downtown, and the design gives him a nod right on his home turf.
There is one more detail for anyone who glances down while waiting for the signal. Near the curb ramps on all four corners, Lawrence tucked in a small motif inspired by the roof of the Polaris restaurant.
Seen from above, the whole intersection reads as a single piece. Bright blues, sunny yellows and deep reds run across every side, and curved bands wrap each corner to tie the four crosswalks together.
From sketch to street
Lawrence runs a small Atlanta studio called Design Emporium. On her studio site she lists the project, titled What the Pavement Holds, as completed in spring 2026 for Downtown Atlanta Inc., and shares a sped-up timelapse of the installation along with the initial sketches the final elements came from. The City of Atlanta Department of Transportation posted a traffic advisory for a temporary closure and detour at the intersection from the night of June 9 into the afternoon of June 10, 2026, to make room for the crosswalk mural installation.
Downtown Atlanta Inc. says the artwork makes a massive difference to the look and feel of one of the busiest streets in Atlanta, and it is hard to disagree. Every trip to the other side now comes with a little lesson in where downtown has been.
Next time you are near Peachtree Center, give yourself an extra minute at the corner and see if you can name the story behind each crosswalk.
Reported by Downtown Atlanta Inc.
