5.23.2022
For me, this trip has served to restore my passion towards my career. You see, I have always held a certain fascination with architecture since I was young. However, through my undergraduate studies I felt a disappointment with how commercialized design has become; questioning my passion. As an architectural engineer, I doubted my purpose in joining a course like this one focused on culture and history. Yet, through my time here I have realized that it is all interconnected, inspiring me with designs that reflect humanity.
Grand Isle Stilt Homes
When studying architecture, you always hear about Italy or most European countries; Louisiana is nowhere to be found in these discussions. But in my opinion, it ought to be. Through our stay in the Pelican state, I have realized that architecture is more than just aesthetics; it tells a story. This understanding all started through our ventures in Grand Isle in which I questioned the houses on stilts which reflect the people’s resistance to the geographic storm surge suffered by the region. These stilts tell visitors a story of resistance that many across the United States would not understand.
There is something interesting about Louisiana architecture as a whole despite the many differences throughout the state. These differences can be more visibly observed when traveling inwards toward New Orleans. Throughout the journey, you can see a shift in residence styles through the bayou that illustrate the harsh conditions in the wetlands. Continuing inland, the architectural shift shows the progress of engineering and development through the levees that surround the Mississippi; creating the illusion of floating ships as described in the novel, Interview with a Vampire. Yet, all these architectural differences showcase the common experiences of the Louisiana People.
Map of New Orleans showing its resemblance to a crescent
The Shop which was a refurbished Ice Cream Factory turned studio space.
This is even more prevalent in the city of New Orleans, in which the architecture appears timeless as a sort of relic or fossil of the past. Walking through the streets, you get this feel of decay that adds a sense of realism to the historic accounts being told. Even with visiting the Shop, you can learn about the history of Ice Cream development in the early days through its members. With every corner you turn and every step you take in this city, it is almost as if another story is being revealed. With just walking, you can sort of feel the pathway revolving around the river giving a clue that this city has always thrived on being a port. This is what has led to the nickname “Crescent City'', as the grid resembles this sort of shape as a result. You could also observe the scattered bricks on the roads giving age to the city and on the sidewalks you can see name tiles on the floor or wall posts showing the different ownerships of New Orleans over time.
Moreover, if you walk towards the corner of Jackson Square you have the Pontabla Apartments which not only serve as a beautiful relic but showcase Micaela’s feminism in a period in which real estate and business were dominated by men. In this same plaza, we can find the Cathedral that serves as the tallest building in the quarter alluding to the reconstruction period of the United States after the Civil War and can still serve as a representative piece of the progress we have yet to make as a country. In a different corner of the city, we have the shotguns of the Tremine that architecturally speaking are symbolic and air a resemblance to the see-through layouts of the Slave Cabins that can be viewed in the Whitney Plantation.
Wall Post showing how New Orleans was once under Spanish Rule
Comparison of Slave Cabin to Shotgun
Meanwhile, in another part we have the Central Business District that mirrors that of wall street. Preservation Hall on the other side of town serves as a remnant of the early development of jazz. We also have the creole townhouses of the quarter that are an architectural testament to the modern fusion of Spanish and French cultures in New Orleans as visible on the detailed metal work of the balconies. The balconies in itself tell a story and give an appearance of interwoven vines frozen in time. Sometimes, it can be observed as you are walking through the city that these balcony patterns are tangled with flowers, leaves, and other motifs from nature. For me, the infused plants add a sense of elegance and remind me that as humans we often forget that our lives depend on nature even through industrialization. I know that through my residence in Los Angeles, I have felt depressed because of that disconnect with green spaces in the architectural style. So I can imagine that these plants are one of the many reasons that the citizens of New Orleans are often viewed as full of life.
Metalwork of balconies in French Quarter featuring plants
Lastly, we have the historic mansions of the garden district that reflect traditional ideals of southern elegance and privilege. Most of the houses in these areas have plaques that almost serve as a visual representation of the area being a living, breathing museum. Most of the houses in this area are composed of the Greek Revival style, featuring grand white Corinthian and Ionic Columns. It is almost as if this style was purposefully chosen to demonstrate power as many of the owners of these houses were slave owners. Walking through this district, you can almost feel the wealth through the detailing of either the facade or gate in which some houses had carved stone animals reminiscent of family seals similar to Game of Thrones. The roofs of these homes can also be observed to be shaped differently which can be attributed to the fact that they were designed for the comfort of white wealthy plantation owners. This area is also home to the famous Buckner Mansion that was featured as the home of a coven of witches in American Horror Story. However, in reality this mansion was owned by a cotton king-pin named Henry Sullivan Buckner and features an inscription on the floor surrounding education and color which is ironic considering the history of the mansion.
Buckner Mansion in Garden District
Overall, through my personal exploration of New Orleans I would like to compare the city to that of a Vampire. Vampires are immortal, yet they have a sense of decay to them. This city has developed throughout the years, yet, the past has remained prevalent. It's almost as if the city looks young but feels old. Observing how the architecture in New Orleans embodies its history reminds me of a quote in Coming through a Slaughter that touches upon ice being remnants of the Ice age. For me, New Orleans Architecture showed me that architecture is an artform that should be about capturing the essence and experiences of a society to live through the ages.
“As if everything in the world is the history of Ice”