Lobbies and atria are a facility’s initial destination, the point of departure, the information center, and the security checkpoint. They define a building’s aesthetic, connect to the rest of the facility, require high speech intelligibility at key locations, and demand durability. The requirements can fluidly fluctuate throughout design, and the acoustics need to keep pace. This paper will discuss different projects where the lobby was central to a successful design. Highlights include a hospital atrium, wherein a balance was struck between speech intelligibility and speech privacy; an airport concourse where the prospect of tile grout lines was carefully considered; and a giant courthouse lobby with design goals at odds with design standards, and with bridges providing acoustical “shade” for security guards.