Tom Ventulett, architect who handcrafted many of Atlanta’s landmarks, dies

Georgia Tech alum, who left his fingerprints on metro Atlanta’s museums, malls and skyscrapers, died at 90.

Thomas W. Ventulett III was a cofounder of architecture and design firm TVS, which helped craft some of Atlanta's famous landmarks. He died in August 2026. (Courtesy of TVS)

Thomas W. Ventulett III, a renowned architect who helped create the look and feel of many of Atlanta’s iconic gathering spaces, has died.

Ventulett, who was 90, co-founded one of Atlanta’s leading architecture firms and spent decades working on projects ranging from malls and museums to skyscrapers and arenas. His involvement with his alma mater Georgia Tech also reshaped the institute’s architecture program, training the next generation on how to marry artistry with functionality.

His eye for design brought landmarks to life including the Georgia World Congress Center, College Football Hall of Fame, Atlantic Station and the King and Queen towers in Sandy Springs. Many of his iconic buildings remain etched into Atlanta lore even if they’ve been redeveloped or demolished, such as the Georgia Dome, Omni Complex, Campanile building and Northlake Mall.

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Thomas W. "Tom" Ventulett III was a renowned Atlanta architect who co-founded TVS. He died in August 2026. (Courtesy of Thomas P. Ventulett)

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Clifford "Baldy" Baldowski, longtime editorial cartoonist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, drew an image of architecture firm TVS that the family of the late Thomas W. Ventulett III still keeps. (Courtesy of Thomas P. Ventulett)

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Thomas W. Ventulett III, Bill Thompson and Ray Stainback were the three co-founders of architecture firm TVS. (Courtesy of TVS)

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Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.