CBD HDLC
At the May 6 meeting of the Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission, the Atlanta-based architecture firm Rule, Joy, Trammell + Rubio presented their proposed designs for the new 28-story Omni New Orleans, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center headquarters hotel. Because the property is state-owned, the HDLC Since the property is state owned, HDLC is only able to review and provide non-binding comments on the proposed design.
Ultimately, the commission had no objections to the plans but recommended that the architect work with HDLC staff to modify the base of the building to make it more compatible with the surrounding historic district. On May 13, the New Orleans City Planning Commission’s Design Advisory Committee will also review the plans.
Previously, the CBD HDLC recommended allowing the demolition of the two existing warehouses on the proposed site, including the former Sugar Mill venue, and the CPC approved the height and size of the new hotel. The current challenge is making a building of this height and mass compatible with the surrounding historic Warehouse District and maintaining an appropriate contextual setting.
The Preservation Resource Center had the opportunity to meet with the architect for the Omni project prior to the HDLC meeting to discuss the most recent designs in relation to the historic district.
PRC’s primary concerns with the design are the lack of setbacks for the 345-foot tower and the orientation of the tower directly next to the park and the historic district. The current orientation of the building was determined based on the hotel’s programmatic requirements. A tower of that size would make more sense on the edge of the historic district along Convention Center Boulevard, with the lower base of the building oriented towards the neighborhood.
Setting the tower further back on the podium would help alleviate the height of the building, but only if that did not result in pushing the building’s base further into the adjacent park.
PRC encourages RJT+R to explore design techniques that break down the massive base of the building into smaller, cohesive volumes to help better reflect the scale and rhythm of the surrounding of neighborhood.
We also shared the concerns of the HDLC staff regarding sections of the building that reference historic building facades or remnants. In particular, the two-story Italianate-style corner on the Convention Center Boulevard side that overlaps with a taller warehouse-inspired facade, which creates a false sense of history.
PRC suggests finding inspiration in a specific aspect of the property’s history to simplify the design, while still reflecting the neighborhood overall.
