Design doesn’t stop with the big decisions. Sometimes it’s the small, unexpected finds that give a place its personality.
At Terminal South, an award-winning Atlanta adaptive reuse project, one of those details started with a vintage payphone at a Grant Park estate sale.
When Terminal South developer Melissa Ahrendt came across the phone, she immediately saw a place for it at the project. One phone led to a collection, and a playful design moment began to take shape.
Today, the vintage payphones hang against bold blocks of color, paired with a fitting nod to Blondie’s “Call Me”: “appelle-moi, mon chéri, appelle-moi.”
It’s a small detail, but one that captures a lot of what makes Terminal South distinctive.
Located in Southeast Atlanta, Terminal South transformed two existing warehouse buildings into a mixed-use destination with locally owned restaurants, shops and services, outdoor gathering spaces and community programming. The project was named Redevelopment of the Year in the 2026 CoStar Impact Awards for Atlanta and was recognized by Atlanta Magazine in its 2025 Best of Atlanta issue as Best New Southside Food Hall & More.
Those larger recognitions reflect a project shaped by countless smaller decisions.
From the beginning, Terminal South was never about creating something entirely new and polished from the ground up. The goal was to give existing buildings new purpose while retaining the character that made the site interesting in the first place.
That approach carries through to the design details. Rather than filling the space with elements that feel overly planned or predictable, there are moments of discovery throughout the property — pieces that are unexpected, a little playful and specific to the place.
The payphones are one example. What began as an estate sale find just a few minutes away became part of the visual identity of Terminal South.
It’s a reminder that creating a memorable place isn’t only about architecture, floor plans or major design decisions. Sometimes, it starts with spotting something interesting, bringing it home and seeing where the idea leads.
