Three Trapolin-Peer Projects Receive 2026 Louisiana Landmarks Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation

Trapolin-Peer Architects is honored to announce that three projects have received 2026 Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the Louisiana Landmarks Society. 

The recognized projects—The Historic New Orleans Collection's 416 Chartres Street, 3535 Magazine Street, and Tulane's School of Architecture and the Built Environment's Richardson Memorial Hall—demonstrate the continued value of preservation as a catalyst for cultural stewardship, adaptive reuse, and institutional reinvestment.

The Historic New Orleans Collection: 416 Chartres Street

Originally constructed in 1834, the former home of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen was transformed into an exhibition production facility for The Historic New Orleans Collection. The $6 million renovation rehabilitated approximately 13,000 square feet of interior space and a 500-square-foot courtyard to accommodate exhibit design and fabrication, digital media production, collections support, and office and conference spaces for museum staff.

The project revealed and preserved historic masonry, wood floors, and the building's street presence while introducing modern infrastructure and accessibility improvements. The renovation also reconnected the building to HNOC's adjacent Williams Research Center, expanding the institution's campus and strengthening its ability to create and deliver cultural programming throughout the French Quarter and Gulf South.

Project Team: The Historic New Orleans Collection; Trapolin-Peer Architects; Ryan Gootee General Contractors; Schrenk Engineering; Moses Engineers; Rick Fifield, Historic Tax Credit Consultant.

Richardson Memorial Hall, Tulane School of Architecture and the Built Environment

Originally constructed in 1909 and located on Tulane University's historic academic quad, Richardson Memorial Hall underwent a comprehensive 68,325-square-foot restoration and expansion completed in November 2024. The $35.1 million project reimagined the landmark building as a contemporary home for the Tulane School of Architecture while preserving its historic significance.

The project addressed longstanding space limitations and life-safety deficiencies through a full renovation and a carefully sited rear addition containing seminar rooms, gallery space, and faculty offices. New interventions were deliberately expressed in a contemporary architectural language that respects the scale, rhythm, and materiality of the original structure while clearly distinguishing new from historic fabric.

Through the restoration of historic elements and the thoughtful integration of new construction, Richardson Memorial Hall now provides a dynamic, high-performing academic environment designed to serve future generations of architecture students while preserving one of Tulane's most significant campus landmarks.

Project Team: Tulane University; Broadmoor, LLC; Trapolin-Peer Architects; Morphy Makofsky, Inc.; TLC Engineering Solutions; SLR Consulting; SpecGuy; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates.

3535 Magazine Street

Constructed in 1925 for the Jefferson Motor Company and later occupied by Harry's Ace Hardware for more than sixty years, 3535 Magazine Street has remained part of the commercial fabric of Magazine Street for nearly a century.

The adaptive reuse project transformed the three-story building into ground-floor retail and upper-level office space while preserving its historic massing, brick masonry, steel framing, industrial steel-sash windows, and cast stone detailing. The design focused on continuity, repairing facade and reinforcing the existing envelope while carefully integrating contemporary building systems, circulation, and life-safety improvements. The completed project extends the useful life of a historic commercial structure while continuing its role as an active contributor to the Magazine Street corridor.

Project Team: Verdad Real Estate and Construction; Trapolin-Peer Architects; Woodward Design+Build; DM Steib LLC; Pontchartrain Mechanical; A1 Electrical Contractors; RML Acoustics; Merit Fire Protection; Fransen Mills; Ryan LLC, Historic Tax Credit Consultant.