You’ve seen them. If you have ever sat in that soul-crushing crawl where I-285 meets GA 400, you’ve stared at them. They are the two most recognizable silhouettes in the suburban South, looming over the Perimeter like a pair of giant chess pieces waiting for a move that never comes. Most locals just call them the Atlanta King and Queen building, but if you want to get technical—and people in Sandy Springs often do—they are actually Concourse Corporate Center V and VI.
Honestly, they’re weird. In a world of glass boxes and boring rectangles, someone decided to put a massive 100-foot-tall white lattice crown on top of two skyscrapers. It’s the kind of architectural flex that shouldn't work, yet it defines the entire northern skyline.
The Mystery of the Missing Third Piece
There’s a rumor that’s been floating around Atlanta dive bars and office breakrooms for decades. It goes something like this: "There was supposed to be a Knight and a Bishop, too." People love a good trilogy, but the reality is a bit more grounded.
While there were whispers of a third tower, the "chess" theme wasn't even the original plan. Architect Tom Ventulett (of the firm Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates) didn't sit down at his drafting table and think, "I'm going to build a chess set." The "King" and "Queen" monikers were actually nicknames given by the public. The developer, The Landmarks Group, just rolled with it because, well, it’s great marketing.
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The "Queen" (Building V) showed up first in 1988. It’s the one with the rounded, tiered crown. The "King" (Building VI) followed in 1991, sporting the square, more masculine-looking top. At 570 feet, the Queen is slightly taller, which is a fun bit of trivia to drop when you're stuck in traffic with a passenger who thinks they know everything about the city.
Why Do They Change Colors?
If you drive by at night, you might see them glowing neon green or a soft, moody purple. It isn't just for show. The lighting system is a high-tech array of ILUMINARC fixtures that allows the building owners to signal different causes to the thousands of commuters passing below.
- Pink: Usually for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
- Green: St. Patrick’s Day or sometimes sustainability initiatives.
- Purple: Famously lit this way in 2016 to honor Prince after his passing.
- Blue and Orange: This once caused a minor riot among Georgia Bulldogs fans who thought the buildings were supporting the Auburn Tigers. In reality, it was for Crohn's disease awareness.
The sheer scale of the lighting is impressive. We're talking about illuminating a lattice structure that sits 34 stories in the air. It’s the city’s giant mood ring.
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Life Inside the Chess Pieces
Most people only see the outside, but the Atlanta King and Queen building complex is basically a self-contained city. It’s a 63-acre campus. There's a man-made lake with a trail, a Westin hotel, and one of the most intense athletic clubs in the state.
Inside, it’s all "Class A" office space. It’s where deals happen for companies like Spectrum Brands and Atlanticus. The view from the top? Incredible. On a clear day, you can see the curve of the earth (kinda) and the faint outline of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the north.
But it’s not all corporate gloss. Construction was a nightmare. When they were building the "King" tower, one of the pre-cast concrete members for the crown was 500 pounds over the crane's weight capacity. The crew basically had to wait until a Saturday, tell everyone to back up, and pray the crane didn't buckle. It didn't, obviously, or we'd be talking about a very different landmark.
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The Suburban Record-Breakers
People often forget that these aren't in downtown Atlanta. They’re in Sandy Springs. For a long time, these were the tallest suburban buildings in the United States. Think about that. Not Chicago, not LA, but a patch of land next to a suburban interchange in Georgia.
They represent a specific era of Atlanta's growth—the "Edge City" boom. In the late 80s and early 90s, the goal was to pull the center of gravity away from Five Points and Peachtree Street. It worked. The Perimeter became its own skyline, and the King and Queen were the anchors.
What to Know Before You Visit
- Don't just pull over on the highway. You will get a ticket. If you want a photo, go to the top floor of the Perimeter Mall parking deck or enter the Concourse office park itself.
- The Lake Path is public. You can actually walk the trail around the lake at the base of the towers. It’s surprisingly peaceful despite being 50 yards from the loudest highway in the South.
- Security is tight. You can’t just wander into the "Crown." It’s mechanical space and private offices. Unless you’re renting 20,000 square feet, you’re staying in the lobby.
The Atlanta King and Queen building isn't just a landmark; it's a compass. Ask any local for directions, and they’ll likely say, "Go north until you see the King and Queen, then turn." It’s the visual heartbeat of the northern suburbs.
If you’re planning to photograph them, the "Golden Hour" just before sunset is your best bet. The blue reflective glass catches the orange light in a way that makes the white crowns pop against the sky. It’s the one moment where the commute actually feels worth it.
To see them from a different perspective, grab a coffee at the nearby Perimeter Mall and walk to the edge of the parking lot facing west. You’ll get a clear shot of both crowns without the highway barriers blocking your view. Afterward, you can walk the 1.5-mile loop around the Concourse lake to see just how massive the "King" really looks from the ground up.