August Perez III (1933 – December 5, 2014) was an
architect based in
New Orleans,
Louisiana.
During his practice, Perez made significant contributions to the urban form of New Orleans, including projects such as the 1984 World's Fair (including the
Mississippi Aerial River Transit
The Mississippi Aerial River Transit, or simply MART, was a gondola lift transport system spanning the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was constructed for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. After the fair, this ...
gondola), the
Piazza d'Italia, New Orleans
The Piazza d'Italia is an urban public plaza located behind the American Italian Cultural Center at Lafayette and Commerce Streets in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. It is controlled by the New Orleans Building Corporation (NOBC), a public be ...
, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Harrah's Casino,
One Canal Place and Zephyr Stadium. Perez was also involved in the initial design of
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport in ...
.
Perez was a founding member of the
Krewe of Bacchus
Krewe of Bacchus is a New Orleans Mardi Gras super krewe.
History and formation
The Krewe of Bacchus is an organization founded in 1968 by Owen Brennan, Jr. as one of the first modern "superkrewes," defined by their size, spectacular floats, an ...
and its captain from 1982 to 1989. The Krewe's tandem floats, such as the 106-foot-long Bacchagator float designed by
Kern Studios were inspired by Perez: while sitting in a plane at the airport, he observed the wagons pulling luggage carts and how each cart turned at the same spot where the previous one had, and wondered if segmented floats could work based on the same principle.
Perez graduated from Alcée Fortier High School and received an architecture degree from
Tulane University in 1956.
Perez was on the board of the Louisiana Association of Architects.
He died on December 5, 2014 at age 81.
His firm, under different ownership, continues to operate.
References
External links
Perez APC
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez, August
1933 births
2014 deaths
Architects from New Orleans