211 - 219 Royal

The Renaissance Revival building at 211-215 Royal Street and adjacent commercial building at 217-219 Royal were rebuilt in 1884 after a number of disastrous fires. Located on 'Furniture Row' in the Vieux Carré, the two buildings functioned as furniture stores and showrooms until Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The mixed use program for the adaptive reuse includes ground floor retail spaces, an event venue on the second floor, and 12 luxury apartments on the third and fourth. Working closely with the Vieux Carré Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the National Park Service, and skilled subcontractors, the exterior was restored to its original grandeur. The non-historic storefronts were replaced with reconstructed glazed double doors and transoms. New cast stone decorative columns were designed for the 211-215 building based on historic photographs. Two separate cast iron galleries were proposed for both building fronts and the 217-219 building gallery was approved as Sanborn maps and old photos indicated a gallery previously existed.

At the interior, original ornate columns, plaster, and masonry were repaired. Acoustical separation at the residential units floors was achieved through Maxxon Acousti-Mat® and gypcrete topping. Two new stairs and an elevator replaced the one existing non-code compliant stair. Installation of new MEP and Fire Protection systems was successful yet proved to be arduous as the existing tie-ins were severely deteriorated due to age.

The view of the ornate 17 story Hotel Monteleone across the street is extraordinary and a height variance was sought for an occupiable rooftop deck and two penthouse additions. After diligent studies of the existing structure, penthouse massing, and on-site mockups demonstrating the addition would not cast shadows onto neighboring properties nor be visible from the street, the height variance was approved. Two new penthouses clad in standing seam with opulent interiors and a new occupiable roof deck with an ipe pedestal system were constructed.

Project Role: Project Manager + Project Architect for all phases through 85% Construction Administration

Architect of Record: studioWTA

Project Type: Multi-Family, White Box

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Client: Royal Condominium Development, LLC

Completed: June 2019

Size: 39,000 sq. ft.

Cost: $10,200,000

Professional Photography: Sara Essex Bradley