National American Bank Building is a 23-story -tall skyscraper in the

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of New Orleans, Louisiana, It was completed in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It is topped with a distinctive 6-story octagonal tower with a golden Art Deco

finial A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...

. Its address is 200 Carondelet Street. Originally a commercial building, it was renovated for use as a residential building after

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

Description

The building was constructed from 1928 to 1929, under the direction of Louisiana architect

Moise Goldstein Moise is a given name and surname, with differing spellings in its French and Romanian origins, both of which originate from the name Moses: Moïse is the French spelling of Moses, while Moise is the Romanian spelling. As a surname, Moisè and Mo ...

; the general contractor was George J. Glover Company. Construction consisted of a steel skeleton, concrete, and hollow tiles. Bricks were used for common walls. The base of the building was faced with polished granite, and a limestone facade was used on the upper floors. On top of the 23rd floor is a 6-story octagonal tower, covered by an ornamental finial. The building was the first in New Orleans to utilize indoor air-conditioning within a public space. In the late 1980s, when the building was assessed for National Register listing, the interior lobby area was marble clad, and the ceiling was described as, "gold and silver leaf pressed metal with a repeating chevron and diamond point pattern". with
three photos and a map
/ref> The banking hall roof was supported by columns, and bronze was used for elevator doors, panels, and check stations. The banking hall also retained its original chandeliers, as well as walnut paneling on the walls.

History

During peak occupation of the building in the 20th century, banks utilized the ground floor and mezzanine, while upper floors were occupied by law firms and other businesses. By 2000, the building was vacant. In the aftermath of

, renovation opportunities arose to replace thousands of rental units lost in the storm. Renovation of the structure was completed in 2008, using public and private investment to convert the building into mixed income residential apartments, under the name "200 Carondelet". It was included as a contributing building in the National Register listing of the

New Orleans Lower Central Business District The New Orleans Lower Central Business District is a historic district in New Orleans, Louisiana which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1991. It may be referred to as Lower Central Business District. Along with ...

in 1991.

References

External links

200 CarondeletProject 200 Carondelet
{{National Register of Historic Places Skyscraper office buildings in New Orleans Office buildings completed in 1929 Art Deco architecture in Louisiana Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in New Orleans 1929 establishments in Louisiana New Orleans Lower Central Business District

Description

History

See also

References

External links