Full historical restoration and adaptive reuse preserves this civic icon.
The George & Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center project consisted of the full historical restoration and adaptive reuse of what was originally two separate townhouses. The original structures were built in the 1870s by Cuban developer Jules LeBlanc. They were joined into one building in the early 20th century and the façade was dramatically remodeled to reflect the tastes of that era. The Southern Colonial Revival building, with its monumental white columns and French Ionic composite capitals, became the home of the Tharp-Sontheimer-Laudumiey funeral home. In 2008 the Jazz & Heritage Foundation purchased the property.
Working within the stringent guidelines of the Historic District Landmarks Commission our scope of work preserved as much of the original architecture as possible while transforming and expanding the space to include state-of-the-art recording and performance spaces. All the decorative elements, both inside and outside of the building, had to be preserved. All existing windows, glass, woodwork, and moldings were removed to allow selective demolition activities.
Square Footage
11,800 SF
Completion
12 months (2014)
Owner
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival & Foundation
Architect
Project Location
New Orleans, LA
The depth of experience of DonahueFavret’s team along with the strong
commitment to quality was invaluable. Our model, Owner-Architect-Contractor
partnership, resulted in a state of the art music education facility that will
serve the city’s youth for decades to come.
We are proud to have had another successful experience with DonahueFavret Contractors and are looking forward to future collaborations.
Shawn R. Préau, AIA
EskewDumezRipple
