Four Seasons New Orleans - Hotel and Facade Renovation
Reimagining Edward Durell Stone's International Trade Mart, into the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences.
Category
Commercial
Hospitality
Living
Adaptive Reuse + Modernization
Size 824,783 SF
Location New Orleans, LA
Year 2022
Known as both the International Trade Mart and the World Trade Center, the landmark tower was designed by Edward Durell Stone in 1964 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Vacant since 2009, the building required extensive rehabilitation to support new hotel, residential, and public uses while preserving its defining New Formalist architectural character.
Working as Historic Architect, TPA restored the historic façade and first-floor lobby interiors while leading the complex historic tax credit process. The redevelopment enhances views, reinforces the tower’s original verticality, and integrates multiple programs within the 33-story structure.
TPA collaborated closely with Design Architect CambridgeSeven and Collaborating Architect Woodward Design+Build to adapt the former center of international trade into the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences.
Outcome
The redevelopment restores one of New Orleans’ most prominent modern landmarks to active use while preserving its defining architectural identity. Through restoration of the historic tower and integration of contemporary hospitality, residential, and public programming, the project reestablishes the former World Trade Center as a major destination along the riverfront and downtown skyline.
The project extends the life of the building through adaptive reuse, façade restoration, and modernization of critical infrastructure while maintaining the character of Edward Durell Stone’s original design. New public amenities, cultural programming, and riverfront activity reconnect the site to the city and reinforce its role within the civic and architectural identity of New Orleans.
Attention to fenestrations was crucial, with a focus on the dramatic glass and steel canopy, entrance portals breaking the base plane, and the replacement of the trellis with a thicker, sloped concrete structure. Custom sealant colors were developed to soften joint lines between precast panels, ensuring repairs blended seamlessly. Extensive mockups and material testing informed façade cleaning methods, precast concrete repairs, and sealant matching throughout the restoration process. Louvers on the upper residential floors were selectively repositioned to improve sight lines and panoramic river views while reinforcing the tower’s original vertical emphasis. Interventions throughout the tower were designed to preserve the building’s original symmetry, rhythm, and vertical character while adapting it for contemporary hospitality and residential use.
The iconic office lobby was transformed into a fashionable hotel lobby and bar, featuring new louvered dividers inspired by the building's exterior. Restoration efforts included preserving signature Italian Carrera and Verdi Antique marble finishes, along with bronze elevator doors and frames. The sloped concrete trellis replaced the original design, addressing issues caused by improper construction. High-performance curtain walls replaced existing windows, offering both solar gain mitigation and a nod to the 1960s louvers.
The dark bronze replacement curtain wall reinforced the building base, creating a dynamic entrance and redefining access to the historic lobby. A new five-story podium introduced meeting spaces, restaurants, exterior courtyards, and rooftop amenities at the base of the tower. Curved in response to the geometry of the Mississippi River and adjacent Spanish Plaza, the addition remains visually distinct from the historic structure while expanding public access and riverfront activity. Additional interventions integrated Vue Orleans, a multi-level cultural attraction and observation experience connecting visitors to panoramic views of the city and riverfront.
Awards
Louisiana Landmarks SocietyExcellence in Historic Preservation, 2022
Engineering News Record Texas and Louisiana, Project of the YearBest Project, Renovation/Restoration, 2022