Friend of Unfair Park and downtown denizen Noah Jeppson got into the Atmos Complex over the weekend thanks to an invite from John Greenan, executive director of Central Dallas Community Development Corporation, who never asks us anywhere. With a nod to the controversy surrounding the properties, which Forest City handed down to the Hamiltons after the Merc men backed out, Noah's more concerned with "the craftsmanship that -- for now -- remains hidden behind closed doors." As he writes in a note to Unfair Park, "Touring the building was a real treat. It's a beautiful structure that I hope will contribute to downtown's resurgence."
He's documented the trip in two places: There's a Flickr photostream for those who just want the pretty pictures and a nicely done illustrated what-if and history-of over on Noah's fledgling-ish Harwood Historic District site. Course, not all of the complex is as well-preserved as the lobby of the Lang & Witchell Lone Star Gas Co. building -- in fact, as Justin Terveen shows us, there's at least one bathroom that looks like a horror-movie set.