Photo: Neil Alexander
New Orleans’ Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) has served as an important cultural connection in that beloved city’s downtown corridor for decades. While the building’s first two floors have enjoyed the bustling attention of visitors to the CAC, its top two floors had historically been underutilized – until The Shopmoved in.
Targeting technology, arts and cultural-based nonprofits and businesses, The Shop is an all-inclusive coworking development located on the third and fourth floors of the CAC.
The Site
“Located in a historic 1920 former warehouse, the building was used as the headquarters for K&B, a local drugstore and soda fountain until the CAC acquired the building in the mid-1970s,” reads the project description.”
The Shop, designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, marks the first large-scale renovation of that space in the last forty years.
“They couldn’t have chosen a better site,” said Hussein Alayyan, senior designer at Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. “It’s at the nexus of cultural intersection. It’s a growing art community that’s happening there, at the center of it.”
“They wanted to create a space that celebrates community, integrating the cultural traffic. It plugs into the greater South Market District, which has a lot of mixed-use buildings and has gone through a rejuvenation in the last 10 years. It speaks to the growing trend for urban living and the desire for the ease of access to amenities of city life.”
The Space
“The Shop features over 40,000-square-feet of coworking space for a diverse group of creative professionals across a wide range of industries,” notes the project description. “The workspace includes 69 fully-furnished offices, seven conference rooms equipped with the latest technology, and 15,000 square-feet of art-filled Commons amenity space, spanning two floors and a roof deck.”
Connected by a new open architectural staircase and featuring an extensive amenity and commons area, meeting and office spaces and a roof deck are framed by soaring ceilings, exposed beams, large windows, a contemporary art collection, and a flowing, open floor plan. The existing building’s classic Warehouse District architecture was preserved, celebrated and thoughtfully modernized to secure its future viability.
Eskew+Dumez+Ripple heard from its client that the goal was to create a WeWork-like coworking space, but moving beyond that standard to a more elevated design approach.
“The owners were looking to up the level of the user experience, not only with amenities, but all through the design of the space itself,” said Mr. Alayyan. “They wanted to create a space that feels like you’re working in your living room, but that also provides the support of a true workplace. The Shop celebrates collaboration and collectivity.”
“The heart of The Shop is the commons area which is designed to facilitate conversation and connection,” reads the project description. “It boasts a full kitchen, seating options, coffee station, snacks available for purchase, and communal and recreational space. All of The Shop’s amenities offer small businesses, entrepreneurs, and arts-based professionals the resources they need to grow. Vintage furniture was sourced from a variety of vendors to give the seating areas of both floors more of a living room feel. Drawing from the inspiration of the CAC itself and connecting the co-working tenants with the art community, custom murals were commissioned for the space and local and national art work was brought in to adorn the walls.”
“Phone booths were incorporated to create venues for private conversations and quiet work space, some have countertops while others have lounge seats. Decorative sconces and graphic wallpaper create a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. Hot desks at open tables with task lamps are intended for daily users of the space. The project incorporates multiple sizes of private offices. Windows between offices enables daylight to flow throughout the space and provides a more open plan feel while maintaining privacy and security. Existing brick was left exposed to enhance the industrial patina of the project. Windows along the south and west facades were replaced; those on the north and east facades were left in place. Building mechanics, ductwork, and electrical conduits were left exposed to celebrate the existing structure.”
“That 15,000 square feet of common space creates an invaluable amount of cross-traffic that occurs,” said Mr. Alayyan. The semi-enclosed booths are particularly popular, giving a certain level of privacy and security, intimacy and detachment, in an inclusive way.”
Evolution of Interior Architecture
Changes to interior architecture include adding a new concrete slab on the third floor, removing a wall on the third floor and putting in glass to facilitate an open atrium, as well as a balcony on the fourth floor that hugs/opens up into the atrium, and adding a new interconnecting stair between the third and fourth floors.
“The interior renovations were extensive, but the building had great bones and it was a treat to work with such a beautiful existing skeleton, especially with exposed timber,” said Mr. Alayyan.
“The connecting stair’s concept emerged from the idea of merging art and handmade elements,” notes the project description. At the base is a board-formed concrete platform, used as an informal work space or stage. The stairs flow seamlessly from a work surface on the 3rdfloor, to the stair itself, to a screen connected to a 4thfloor ceiling, flowing into a banquette seat.”
Aesthetically, the space is warm, inviting, cozy at every turn – from the warm wood beams and thoughtful furniture arrangements that ground the space down to the rays of light streaming in and the finishes of the cushions gracing the concrete podium seats.
“The owners weren’t interested in offering something that felt too corporate, but they did acknowledge the things that are great about contract lines, in areas of ergonomics and maintenance,” said Mr. Alayyan. “You can clearly see that it draws inspiration from its existing use as part of the CAC, including the importance of art within the space.”
Sustainable Design at The Shop
The Shop contains a number of progressive sustainable design features:
“Single pane windows on the South and West facades of the Contemporary Arts Center building were replaced with insulated Low-E glass to reduce heat gain and air infiltration,” reads the project description. “The architectural lighting is LED, which cuts energy consumption by over 80% and lasts up to 25% longer when compared to conventional light bulbs. Occupancy sensors throughout the space turn lights on and off automatically. Skylights were replaced to maintain existing daylighting and insulation was added to the roof. A new high-albedo roof was installed to reflect light, allowing it to stay up to 50-60 degrees cooler than conventional materials during peak heat.”
The Shop opened its doors to members about six months ago, offering everything from day passes and 10-day passes to fully-furnished dedicated office space for eight people.
“Architecturally, the project was a bit like interior archeology, where the bones of the building are now revealed and celebrated,” notes the project description. “Urbanistically, there’s a great story about how the project breathes new life into existing architecture and how partnering with cultural institutions can help ensure their viability.”
“The way it blends into the community is one of the most captivating aspects of this space,” said Michael Mantese, content manager at Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. “Anchor tenants and other members at The Shop are now full-time active members of the CAC as well. The area is evolving and shaping around this project in new ways.”