Chapel of the Holy Spirit

Chapel of the Holy Spirit, photo by Francine Stock, originally uploaded by regional.modernism.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit at 1100 S. Broadway was originally designed as part of the Francis Lister Hawks Episcopal Student Center for Tulane-Newcomb and named for Rev. F.L. Hawks, first President of Tulane University. According to a brochure in the University Archives, the "contemporary architecture of the Chapel symbolizes hands folded in prayer."

The chapel was designed by architect Claude E. Hooton and completed in 1956. Mr. Hooton had previously designed the International Style Texaco Building at 1501 Canal Street. Hooton also worked as an associate architect with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill on the Pan American Life Insurance Company headquarters at 2400 Canal Street. Both the former Texaco Building and PALIC have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Texaco Building

Texaco Building, originally uploaded by regional.modernism.

One of the early examples of International Style corporate architecture in New Orleans, the Texaco Building stands alone on the 1500 block of Canal Street. This seventeen story steel-frame skyscraper was designed by Claude E. Hooton. Construction began in 1951.* In its time, the Texcaco Building epitomized the view and reality of New Orleans as a booming metropolis. Please click here and here to see it in its glory, vintage photos from the Historic New Orleans Collection, Louisiana Digital Libraries.

Currently the building suffers from neglect in the form of multiple broken windows and major graffiti. This condition challenges us to appreciate its architectural value. When Modernist buildings are left to decay, they do not take on the "elegant and decadent" character identified with our 19th century buildings. We see broken, we see tags, we see danger. The Modernist dream is shattered by such neglect.

To its rescue? the Downtown Development District and Fred Radtke.

According to today's City Business:

The Downtown Development District is partnering with Fred Radtke, also known as "The Gray Ghost," to remove a large-scale, high-profile graffiti tag on the top floors of the former Texaco building on Canal Street.

The DDD will provide Radtke with funds to purchase graffiti-removal solutions and paint to match the color of the building tagged with graffiti.

The funds are part of the DDD’s graffiti grant match program that pays private property owners half the cost to remove illegal spray paint from their buildings.

The Texaco Building was placed on Louisiana's National Register of Historic Places in 2006, its history chronicled by Karen Kingsley. (pdf)

*Hooton served as associate architect with Skidmore Owings Merrill on the Pan American Life Insurance Company building on upper Canal Street. He also designed the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on Broadway.

UPDATE: 8.18.08

Emailed the DDD last week with recommendations for Removing Graffiti from Historic Masonry. They replied:

Gray paint is not an agreeable solution for the DDD. Helm paint has offered to provide paint in matching colors for future efforts.

An even better solution: Instead of Fred Radtke, team up Sidney Torres

Get Sidney Torres involved in the local fight against the battle with the vandals. Sidney Torres & SDT have done a fantastic job with Garbage Disposal & Cleaning in the French Quarter and it just seems that if he was approached he would more than likely be happy to get a portable Soda Ash Blaster and combat graffiti in a sensible manner, remove it just don't cover it.