Showing posts with label St. Charles Avenue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Charles Avenue. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
John Hancock Building (1960-62)
Gordon Bunschaft's design of the concrete exoskeleton distinguishes the John Hancock Building (now known as K&B Plaza) as the finest of four buildings by corporate architects Skidmore, Owings & Merill in New Orleans. Nolan, Norman & Nolan served as associate architects. Fountain by Isamu Noguchi. AIA Merit Award, 1963.
[F. Stock; photo: TSA NOVA]
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Pontchartrain Expressway at St. Charles Avenue
The elevated section of I-10 designated as the Pontchartrain Expressway begins as the interstate crosses the Orleans Parish line at the 17th Street Canal and leads to the Crescent City Connection (1958).
The footprint of the expressway largely follows that of the New Basin Canal, constructed in 1831-38 to facilitate transportation of goods between Lake Pontchartrain and downtown. The canal's significance to New Orleans' shipping declined after the opening of the Industrial Canal in 1923. Most of the New Basin Canal was filled between 1937 - 1950, making way for the Pontchartrain Expressway, Pontchartrain Boulevard and West End.
[photo: TSA NOVA]
The footprint of the expressway largely follows that of the New Basin Canal, constructed in 1831-38 to facilitate transportation of goods between Lake Pontchartrain and downtown. The canal's significance to New Orleans' shipping declined after the opening of the Industrial Canal in 1923. Most of the New Basin Canal was filled between 1937 - 1950, making way for the Pontchartrain Expressway, Pontchartrain Boulevard and West End.
[photo: TSA NOVA]
Monday, March 14, 2011
YMCA (1960)
In 1959 architects Roessle and Von Osthoff designed a new ten-story 186-room dormitory for the Young Men's Christian Association on Lee Circle.
The Times Picayune reported that the facade of the new YMCA "building will be circular in structure to fit the association's concave frontage. It will be encircled by a solar screen of cast stone, an architectural pattern to provide for privacy and protect from sunlight."
This new construction fronting the avenue would also incorporate parts of existing structures on site originally designed by Favrot and Livaudais in 1931 with additions and alterations by Jones and Roessle in 1950.
The YMCA building was renovated and reopened in 2001 as Le Cirque Hotel.
[photo: TSA NOVA]
The Times Picayune reported that the facade of the new YMCA "building will be circular in structure to fit the association's concave frontage. It will be encircled by a solar screen of cast stone, an architectural pattern to provide for privacy and protect from sunlight."
This new construction fronting the avenue would also incorporate parts of existing structures on site originally designed by Favrot and Livaudais in 1931 with additions and alterations by Jones and Roessle in 1950.
The YMCA building was renovated and reopened in 2001 as Le Cirque Hotel.
[photo: TSA NOVA]
St. Mary's Dominican / Loyola Annex (1968)
From 1910-1984 St. Mary's Dominican College offered Catholic liberal arts education to young women. In 1967 architect J. Buchanan Blitch designed a modern residential hall for the campus at St. Charles Avenue and Broadway.
Blitch designed the five-story galleried dormitory to complement the historic architecture of Greenville Hall (Wm. Fitzner, 1882). The 220 bed residence hall opened in the fall of 1968.
Dominican College closed in 1984 and sold its campus buildings to Loyola University.
Blitch designed the five-story galleried dormitory to complement the historic architecture of Greenville Hall (Wm. Fitzner, 1882). The 220 bed residence hall opened in the fall of 1968.
Dominican College closed in 1984 and sold its campus buildings to Loyola University.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Cabana Club Apartments (1959)
Architect Bernard J. Aronson designed the Cabana Club Apartments in 1958 on St. Charles Avenue and Conery - the site of the former Madame Desire A. Chaffraix mansion. The 'ultra-modern' 35 unit apartment building was developed by the architect's brother, Norman Aronson, and opened for occupancy October 1, 1959. Amenities included air conditioning, ample closets, wall-to-wall carpeting, and sliding doors opening to the landscaped courtyard and 40' x 16' swimming pool.
[F. Stock; photo: TSA NOVA]
[F. Stock; photo: TSA NOVA]
Mahorner Clinic (1951)
In 1950 Dr. Howard Mahorner commissioned Curtis and Davis, architects to design a medical clinic to be built on the riverside of St. Charles Avenue near Josephine Street. Curtis and Davis had recently completed an office building for physicians on Louisiana Avenue near Touro Hospital.
The L-shaped building was designed to conform to the lot and to accommodate parking for 25 cars. The exterior of the two-story steel-frame building was finished in brick and stucco. The building was recently renovated for Best Koeppel.
[photo: TSA NOVA]
The L-shaped building was designed to conform to the lot and to accommodate parking for 25 cars. The exterior of the two-story steel-frame building was finished in brick and stucco. The building was recently renovated for Best Koeppel.
[photo: TSA NOVA]
One Shell Square (1972)
In April 1970 piles were driven 210 feet deep for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill's 51-story office tower for Shell Oil Company in the square bound by Poydras, Carondelet, St. Charles and Perdido streets.
The 212.45 m (697.0 ft) skyscraper, 700 car garage and landscaped plaza were completed in 1972 and recognized as the 'Most Outstanding Structure' in 1974 by the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. Associate architects were August Perez and Associates. It is the tallest building in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.
Other local buildings designed by SOM include the Pan American Life Company (2400 Canal), John Hancock Building (1055 St. Charles), and Bank of New Orleans Building (1010 Common).
[F. Stock, photo:New Orleans Virtual Archive Tulane School of Architecture ]
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sarpy Residence (1963)
In 1963 architect Victor Bruno (TU BArch, 1943) designed this duplex at 4101 St. Charles Avenue for attorney A. Lester Sarpy. Bruno had recently completed the Gallery Apartments (2511 St. Charles Avenue).
The Sarpy house was listed in The Architecture of St. Charles Avenue by Susan Lauxman Kirk, 1977.
[photo F. Stock, TSA NOVA]
The Sarpy house was listed in The Architecture of St. Charles Avenue by Susan Lauxman Kirk, 1977.
[photo F. Stock, TSA NOVA]
Friday, February 25, 2011
National American Bank (Lee Circle branch) 1952-54, razed 2007
Boh Brothers were general contractors for the new Lee Circle bank branch and custom cabinetry was provided by Riecke Cabinet Works (established 1905). Riecke also designed and built custom furnishings for the Union Savings and Loan at 353 Carondelet.
The Lee Circle branch of the National American Bank building was razed in 2007. The site remains vacant. [see: demolition photos by Laureen Lentz]
[photo: Moise Goldstein Collection, Southeastern Architectural Archive, Tulane University Libraries]
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
K&B Pharmacy (1955)
In 1905 Gustave Katz and Sydney J. Besthoff opened the first Katz and Besthoff pharmacy at 732 Canal Street. [photo by Jeff Lamb]
In 1955 Katz and Besthoff comissioned Dreyfous, Seiferth and Gibert, architects to design a new K&B "self-service super drug store" with a "complete cosmetic department" at Napoleon and St. Charles avenues. The older store remained open during construction and was later razed to provide for parking. The signature "K&B purple" was ubiquitous on the firm's products, signage, shopping carts and bags. The business expanded throughout New Orleans and the Gulf South until it was sold to the Rite Aid corporation in 1997.
The building has since been razed and replaced with a banking outlet.
[Photo: 1972, New Orleans Virtual Archive, Tulane School of Architecture]
In 1955 Katz and Besthoff comissioned Dreyfous, Seiferth and Gibert, architects to design a new K&B "self-service super drug store" with a "complete cosmetic department" at Napoleon and St. Charles avenues. The older store remained open during construction and was later razed to provide for parking. The signature "K&B purple" was ubiquitous on the firm's products, signage, shopping carts and bags. The business expanded throughout New Orleans and the Gulf South until it was sold to the Rite Aid corporation in 1997.
The building has since been razed and replaced with a banking outlet.
[Photo: 1972, New Orleans Virtual Archive, Tulane School of Architecture]
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Gallery Apartments (1962)
In September of 1962 work began on the Gallery Apartments, the first of two residential buildings on St. Charles Avenue designed by architect Victor Bruno (see also: Sarpy Residence, 4101 St. Charles).
Bruno reserved the ground floor of the five story apartments building for parking and a "glass encased lobby." The upper four stories housed 26 apartments of approximately 990 SF each and one 2400 SF penthouse with roof garden.
Noted amenities included a swimming pool, patio, two elevators, and laundry room facilities on each floor. The apartment building also featured private side-galleries and a sculptural concrete sun screen.
[Times-Picayune, 8-26-1962; photo: F. Stock, Tulane School of Architecture New Orleans Virtual Archive]
Bruno reserved the ground floor of the five story apartments building for parking and a "glass encased lobby." The upper four stories housed 26 apartments of approximately 990 SF each and one 2400 SF penthouse with roof garden.
Noted amenities included a swimming pool, patio, two elevators, and laundry room facilities on each floor. The apartment building also featured private side-galleries and a sculptural concrete sun screen.
[Times-Picayune, 8-26-1962; photo: F. Stock, Tulane School of Architecture New Orleans Virtual Archive]
Saturday, February 12, 2011
'Garden Apartments' (1939)
New Orleans Architecture, vol. VII: Jefferson City notes an "influence of European modernism" in the design of architect Albert Theard's 'garden apartments' on St. Charles Avenue at Milan.
"The corner windows indicate an interior framework that renders the exterior a 'skin.' A few scant Art Deco details ornament the windows. The site arrangement around a garden is designed as departure from the more monolithic high-rise apartment type."
The brick facade has been painted light pink for at least two decades.
[Friends of the Cabildo, New Orleans Architecture vol. VII, p. 161, photo: Francine Stock]
"The corner windows indicate an interior framework that renders the exterior a 'skin.' A few scant Art Deco details ornament the windows. The site arrangement around a garden is designed as departure from the more monolithic high-rise apartment type."
The brick facade has been painted light pink for at least two decades.
[Friends of the Cabildo, New Orleans Architecture vol. VII, p. 161, photo: Francine Stock]
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