The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is proud to unveil FORTY FIVE, the university’s newest residence hall and academic complex. This 14-story tower represents the completion of the final phase of SCAD Atlanta’s transformational development project on Spring Street and totals over 556,600 square feet.

Named in honor of the 45 years since the university’s founding by SCAD President Paula Wallace, FORTY FIVE welcomes SCAD students to the heart of Midtown Atlanta to live, learn, create, and succeed in the 2023- 24 academic year. The unveiling of FORTY FIVE fortifies the university’s position offering best-in-class instructional and creative environments to foster learning, collaboration, and innovation to SCAD students and the greater Atlanta community.

"Picture this: You wake up in a sunlit room overlooking a breathtaking city in a forest,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. "After you stretch and take in the skyline view, hit the gym for a little cardio, swing by the cafe for a bite, spend a few hours with the coolest profs in town—maybe designing new apps with Google or dreaming up new kicks for the sneaker market—and then unwind that afternoon in a rooftop pool with your friends. Now imagine this BEST DAY EVER all happening in one remarkable place: FORTY FIVE, SCAD's latest, greatest, most spectacular gift to our Bees, where SCAD students live, learn, and thrive in safety and comfort. FORTY FIVE: a dreamland for makers, a Hogwarts for the 21st century!”

Adjacent to SCAD Atlanta residence halls FORTY FOUR and FORTY and centrally connected by an open-air courtyard and outdoor gathering space, SCAD COURT, FORTY FIVE boasts residential, academic, and lifestyle amenities in vibrant, creative spaces designed for SCAD students to thrive. The top seven floors of FORTY FIVE comprise the university’s newest residential spaces, housing over 400 students. The apartment- style dormitories are outfitted with modern amenities for high-rise urban living, complete with sweeping views of Atlanta’s skyline.

SCAD continues to provide innovative resources and leading-edge technology for students to support expert instruction and student success. Nearly 27,000 square feet of FORTY FIVE is dedicated to SCAD Atlanta’s expanded academic facilities for the university’s top-ranked programs. FORTY FIVE will also be home to SCAD Atlanta’s expanded university bookstore, Ex Libris, offering textbooks, art supplies, apparel, clothing, gifts, and memorabilia. Located at street level on Spring Street, Ex Libris is open to students and the public.

The university is proud to continue its legacy as one of Atlanta’s premier cultural destinations with the new SCADshow at FORTY FIVE. SCAD Atlanta’s world-class entertainment and performance venue, SCADshow hosts two state-of-the-art theater spaces, a 700-seat mainstage and an intimate 130-seat theater, with industry-leading projection and sound production technology. SCADshow will present the university’s thrilling signature events, festivals, and performances, including SCAD AnimationFest (which returns to SCAD Atlanta Sept. 28–30), SCAD TVfest, BAM! Black Artists in Music, and SCADstyle, among other events. SCADshow will also offer dynamic programming year-round by hosting industry screenings with Hollywood notables, special performances, and expertly curated events to inspire and delight the Atlanta community.

Health, wellness, and recreation are integral parts of the SCAD Atlanta student experience, and they find a new home at FORTY FIVE. SCADfit Atlanta features top-of-the line strength, conditioning, and cardio equipment, as well as three private studio spaces for yoga, Pilates, meditation, and multipurpose workout classes. FORTY FIVE’s rooftop pool and lounge deck offers unparalleled views of Atlanta’s Midtown and Downtown skylines.

Vibrant art, sculptural installations, and large-scale murals illuminate FORTY FIVE, all from SCAD’s global network of exceptionally talented visionary alumni, faculty, and staff. Expertly curated to provide an unparalleled environment that inspires innovation, creativity, and imagination, FORTY FIVE and SCADshow feature over 230 significant works by an international roster of SCAD artists from the United States, Europe, China, India and South America.

Further, as part of SCAD Atlanta’s expanded Midtown footprint, the university also opened 1430 on West Peachtree Street for the new academic year. 1430 serves as the new home to SCAD’s prestigious School of Liberal Arts and School of Foundation Studies, incorporating an additional six stories of academic space, lecture halls, and classrooms.

"Students are drawn to Atlanta because the city offers proximity to the world’s leading companies, a thriving arts & culture scene, limitless opportunities for professional growth – and SCAD is at the forefront of providing best-in-class instruction and resources for the benefit of our students," said John Buckovich, Vice President of SCAD Atlanta and University Operations. "With the debut of FORTY FIVE, we've now created a unified Midtown campus footprint with unparalleled academic excellence, resources, and engagement that will give our students a dynamic university experience and prepare them for success in their creative endeavors."

For almost two decades, SCAD has been an integral part of the Atlanta community, all while the university maintained its position as the global leader in art and design higher education and the preeminent source of knowledge for creative professions. The unveiling of FORTY FIVE, and completion of the university’s Spring Street development project, underscores SCAD Atlanta’s significant investment in the city and transformative effect on Midtown. This expansion supports record growth enrollment for SCAD Atlanta, an increase of over 8% for the 2023-24 academic year.

FORTY FIVE was completed by builder Clayco and designed by Mackey Mitchell Architects and Lamar Johnson Collaborative in collaboration with SCAD Design Group. For more details about FORTY FIVE and SCAD Atlanta, please visit scad.edu.