Four Pillar Award Presented to John Portman, Jr.

The Four Pillar Award is given annually to an honoree who has made significant contributions, both personally and professionally, to the metro Atlanta community. The Council considers the “Four Pillars” of leadership and success to be Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity.

In addition to the “Responsibility” Pillar, Portman was presented with the “Quality” Pillar by Dean Mohsen Mostafavi; “Vision” Pillar by Buckhead's Charles Loudermilk, Sr., and the “Integrity” Pillar by Ambassador Andrew Young.

“I was honored to be a part of the celebration recognizing Mr. Portman for his contributions to the economic vitality of our city,” said Mitchell in a news release. “Our downtown district, as well as our skyline, will forever be tied to his architectural genius.”

Portman designed the famed Peachtree Plaza Hotel, which gained landmark status within the city as Atlanta's tallest building at the time of its completion. The building opened as the tallest hotel in the world in 1977.

Portman is also responsible for the development of Peachtree Center, which includes 17-blocks of downtown Atlanta real estate that serves today as a catalyst for the rapid growth of Atlanta’s convention and hospitality industries and has forged Atlanta as one of the nation’s premier convention and international cities.

In addition to his contributions to economic development in the city, Mr. Portman has played an active and significant role in civic affairs throughout the city. He is a founding member and leader of Central Atlanta Progress, an organization that contributes to health of the Central Business District. And, he was also a founding member of Action Forum, a bi-racial group of business leaders who helped establish Atlanta as a role model for racial integration in the 1960s.