Trapolin-Peer Architects reveals Sazerac House, a multi-faceted cultural destination that breathes new life into downtown New Orleans

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Oct 02, 2019, 13:22 ET

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Trapolin-Peer Architects announces the completion of Sazerac House, an immersive destination visitor experience that showcases the Sazerac Company's legacy brands while redeveloping an important intersection in downtown New Orleans. Located at the corner of Canal and Magazine Streets, the project merges two late 19th-century buildings into a unified complex that breathes new life into long-abandoned structures.

Exterior view of Sazerac House. Sazerac House is located in the heart of downtown New Orleans at the corner of Canal and Magazine Streets, just blocks from the original Sazerac Coffeehouse and Antoine Peychaud’s apothecary. The long-abandoned structures were extensively renovated and returned to a period-appropriate visual appearance while adding critical infrastructure upgrades to reduce the stormwater load on city systems. Architecture by Trapolin-Peer Architects. Photo& ©️ Alan Karchmer/OTTO

Detail of staircase and bottle wall. Contemporary methods and materials evoke the spirit of 1880s architecture and reveal the historic character of the buildings while making clear what’s new. The three-story display wall featuring Sazerac bottles is back-lit to draw the attention up through the building and to the upper floors. Plasma-cut steel panels with cutout “S” shapes and star anise flowers take inspiration from the brand. Architecture by Trapolin-Peer Architects. ©️ Alan Karchmer/OTTO

Essentially three projects in one—interactive exhibits, micro-distillery, and office space—the buildings were renovated from top to bottom utilizing Historic Tax Credits. The resulting six story, 51,987-square-foot complex houses three floors of visitor-focused venues (retail, exhibits, and demonstration distillery areas), a fourth-floor event space, plus fifth and sixth floor offices for the Sazerac Company. Employing an archeological approach to design, the project includes a mix of restoration, repurposed salvaged elements, and complementary new interventions.

The first floor provides an overview of the complex and a visual introduction to the richness of the architecture. A new monumental staircase serves as a physical and experiential link within the building, orienting visitors to the venue. Three-stories tall, the staircase sits within a newly opened volume in the heart of the building, which was created by removing portions of three floors. A highlight of the stairs is a backlit, glass-encased display wall featuring 2,000 Sazerac bottles. The first floor includes a small-batch production facility for distilling Sazerac Whiskey that enables guests to experience a working still in the heart of the city. On the second and third floors, state-of-the-art exhibits showcase the role New Orleans played in the history of American cocktail culture. Two tasting rooms allow guests to learn about the company's products directly from distillers and staff.

Sazerac House revitalizes previously forgotten buildings, and serves as a pioneering model for future investment and construction of mutual advantage for both the investor and the City of New Orleans.

Project Team
Owner: The Sazerac Company
Architect: Trapolin-Peer Architects
Acoustical Consultant: RML Acoustics
Construction Project Manager: Holt Consultants, LLC
Structural/ Civil Engineer: Morphy Makofsky Incorporated
MEP Engineer: Moses Engineers
Historic Tax Credit Consultant: Rick Fifield, AIA
Exhibit Designer: Gallagher & Associates
Contractor: Ryan Gootee General Contractors, LLC

About Trapolin-Peer Architects

Founded in 1981, Trapolin-Peer Architects is a full-service architecture firm that specializes in context-sensitive designs for new construction and historic property renovation and restoration. trapolinpeer.com

SOURCE Trapolin-Peer Architects