Special Projects

Owner:

Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation

Design:

Jahncke and Burns Architects

Size:

19,000 Sq. Feet.

Budget:

$4,000,000

Completion:

May 2007

Historic New Orleans Collection - Conti Street Storage Facility

The Williams Research Center continues to enhance their Historic New Orleans Collection. To house their growing inventory, they recently purchased a nondescript tin-roofed shed at 535 Conti Street with the mind of making a new storage facility.

The Collection researched the property and found a color rendering of an early building located on this property. The illustration depicts the Veranda Hotel, complete with a distinctive rosy-hued facade, carriage way, covered gallery and shuttered windows. With this historical perspective, Jahncke Architects designed a new building with a facade to replicate the hotel. But, behind this front is an elegant First Floor Exhibition and Programming space and three floors of state of the art archival storage.

Upper floors are constructed of 11 inch thick post-tension concrete decks. One inch thick plaster sheaths the exterior along with double paned hurricane proof windows with additional interior security shutters. HVAC is disbursed thru duct socks to more evenly distribute conditioned air. Electrical power is backed up with a natural gas powered generator. Security and Safety for the collection is provided by close circuit cameras, perimeter devices, motion detectors, a double interlock pre-action sprinkler system, and Keso Locks.