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Project Type: Hospitality

BJCC Legacy Arena

As part of a team of local architects, CCR worked under Kansas City-based Populous to transform a brutalist building from the 1970s into a clean, modern venue to host regional and national sports competitions, concerts, and events.

The major project components include a new entry plaza, new three-story lobby, and a complete interior renovation.

Before
After

Our team replaced the arena’s original façade with a new three-story glazed lobby addition that faces the Birmingham skyline, fills the lobby with natural light, and invites visitors to the arena through a tree-lined entry plaza.

New stairs, elevators, and escalators in the lobby provide clear wayfinding and an expedited entry and exit process.

The Main Concourse renovation included opening it up to the seating bowl to enhance connectivity and wayfinding, incorporating new lighting and signage, and upgrading the concessions stands and restrooms to modern arena standards.

By creating a break in the original seating bowl, we were able to add two premium seating levels: the Suite Level with 12 private suites and the Club Level above. The Club Level can accommodate larger parties and provide an elevated viewing experience with nearby bar access.

The renovation has improved every step of the visitor experience and attracted a new generation of high-profile performers, sports competitions, and major regional and national events, and supports the upward trajectory of the city of Birmingham.

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Chick-fil-A North Point Parkway

This custom-built Chick-fil-A brings a convenient, comfortable dining experience to Alpharetta, GA.

The site circulation was thoughtfully designed to accommodate pedestrian, dine-in, and drive thru traffic and to facilitate the streamlined dining experience characteristic of Chick-fil-A stores.

A custom steel monument sign and pedestrian ramp establish a clear, accessible entry to the parking lot. The design features a covered ordering point and a custom porte cochére in the meal delivery area that create an elevated drive-thru experience and protect patrons from inclement weather.

Clerestory windows with sun-shading canopies bring lots of natural light into the dining area, and a trellis patio provides an inviting place for customers to dine outdoors.

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Uptown Cantina

Located in the Uptown Entertainment District of downtown Birmingham, Uptown Cantina is a 12,000 SF upscale Mexican restaurant that uses fresh ingredients to create expressive twists on all the traditional favorites.

The restaurant consists of large open spaces with a variety of booths and tables, a private dining area, and two bars.

The space is colorful, casual, and energetic, reflecting their branding and focus on fresh food and fun.

The design features hand-painted murals by Fitz Signs & Murals, neon signs by Magic City Signs, and indoor plants provided by Interiorscapes.

The second floor includes additional restaurant seating; however, it is primarily bar-focused with a patio overlooking Protective Stadium and a large TV screen for events and games. This space is also used to host live music and entertainment.

Serving tacos, tequila, and tunes every day of the week, this space was designed to reflect Uptown Cantina’s brand and its focus on high quality food and fun.

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Blueroot

Located in the Lakeview District in Birmingham’s urban core, Pepper Place is a vibrant design & entertainment destination. After years of serving customers via Saturday pop-ups at Pepper Place Market and a small outpost location in Mountain Brook Village, Blueroot needed a space of their own.

The layout of the store makes selecting from their menu of salads, grain bowls and grab-and-go options intuitive and simple.

Bright, bold tile behind the serving line and in the restrooms provide pops of color in Blueroot’s signature blue.

Wire and rattan light fixtures and a collection of plants provided by Botanica, a local nursery, add natural texture and life to the space.

A light-filled area with a large community table and individual tables made by Magic City Woodworks (now Manufacture Good), a local non-profit organization aimed at equipping young men with job skills, provides seating options for dine-in customers.

Large windows face the Dr. Pepper Co. sign, a remnant of Pepper Place’s history as the Dr. Pepper Syrup Plant and Bottling Company.

From the restaurant’s location to their use of local produce and goods, Blueroot’s flagship store was designed to enhance the well-being of its customers and community.

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Chick-fil-A North Viera

The design features a series of elements brought together to break down the large scale of the building and reflect the character of the surrounding area. The mixture of materials creates visual interest and differentiates the building’s interior and exterior spaces.

The variety of seating areas and design choices such as lighting fixtures, signage and red dining chairs showcase the Chick-fil-A brand and create a warm, welcoming dining environment.

Large windows provide ample daylight in the dining area and staff meeting room, and an outdoor patio creates space for diners to enjoy meals outdoors.

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Milo’s Hamburgers

Crisp whites, pops of red and stainless steel accents create a bright new standard for the Milo’s Hamburger interiors.

The design features white subway tile, new white and red booths, bold red chairs made out of recycled Coca-Cola bottles and a glowing neon sign that will have you singing the Milo’s jingle all day.

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Whistling Table

The restaurant is divided into two distinct spaces—the bar area and the open restaurant area. The restaurant area is open, soft and light with natural textural aspects highlighting the locally-sourced foods and sustainable materials.

An existing outdoor patio was enclosed in glass and wood, maintaining views to and from the street and providing a glowing, lively space to the community.

Wood timber from the original structure and other sources was recycled to make booths, exterior paneling, and the bar ceiling.

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Pizzeria GM

Continuing a long, collaborative relationship between owner and architect, Pizzeria GM is a new building anchoring a prominent corner in the developing West Homewood neighborhood.

The concept is evident in the materials which take cues from the original restaurant and its basic, unpretentious materials.

Simple concrete masonry blocks define the main structure with exposed steel roof joists. The attached wooden porch blends into the scale of the neighboring structures and reinforces feelings of comfort through the simplicity of detailing and design restraint.

An outdoor bocce court and game area border the park and an additive fabric awning along the front elevation is used to suggest an older building adapted to a modern use. 

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The Boot at The Grove

Interior upgrades to the existing structure include a new variegated brick fireplace, polished concrete floors and the conversion of the existing bank vault into a private dining area.

The exterior teller lanes were enclosed to provide for additional seating and a bar.

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Market Table

The restaurant’s premise is to describe the purity of the food process from farm-to-market-to (dinner) table. Thus, the interior palette reflects finishes with a clean, raw feel reminiscent of being on the farm.

Reclaimed wood, concrete floors and counter tops, galvanized metal and stainless steel with accents of red give the space a fresh farmers market look.

The space includes a temperature-controlled butcher shop to provide customers with fresh cuts of meat. An exterior patio with a sail shade and reclaimed wood wall extends the dining experience outdoors.

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