625 St. Charles
Condominiums
Architect: Trapolin Architects, New Orleans
Location: New Orleans
Design Team: Peter Trapolin, William Mullany & Ashley
King
Contractor: Gibbs Construction, New Orleans
The building, 625 St. Charles Condominiums, is a custom quality,
residential high-rise building located in the heart of the
Central Business District, on one of the most historic avenues
in New Orleans.
The quality of design and construction, innovation and ability
to overcome design and construction challenges are all manifested
in the form and massing of the building. To acknowledge the
scale of the existing neighborhood, a 50-ft. mid-rise street-level
façade was created. To maximize the allowable height
limit without being too overwhelming at the street level,
the "tower" of the building, in which all of the
residential spaces take place, was set back 25 ft.
To make a graceful transition in scale between the mid-rise
massing and the tower massing, a stone cornice caps the mid-rise
massing, also acting at the base for a terrace space on the
roof of the 50-ft. portion. Additionally, the mid-rise portion
of the building will be occupied by retail spaces at street
level and office spaces on the upper floors, lending a neighborly
feel to the exiting fabric of the block.
This project is a fine example of combining historic sensitivity
with contemporary design. It also pioneers residential living
in an urban setting, which is somewhat unique to New Orleans.
Restricted to a very tight site, the building was designed
to accommodate numerous program requirements - from providing
parking for each unit without creating a "noticeable"
parking structure, to filling each unit with as much natural
light as possible.
Taking visual cues from nearby, prominent structures such
as Gallier Hall, the detailing of the street level façade
is intended to pay homage to Classical detailing without heavy
handedly replicating it.
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