Architecture of New Orleans

Remaining foundation of house in lower 9th ward

House swept away by levee breach in lower 9th ward. Little remains in this spot, and no efforts have been made to rebuild it or other houses like it in the neighborhood. The foundations still left standing serve as a memory of the legacy of the neighborhood.

Empty lot in lower 9th ward

House swept away by levee breach in lower 9th ward. Little remains in this spot, nothing has been rebuilt. It has become a dumping ground for trash. A lack of investment by the city to help rebuild it means that it has been desolate for almost 20 years.

Jazz in the airport

Jazz is a significant cultural factor of the city, having a jazz band playing at the airport that serves as a welcoming point for tourists is significant in the way that they are being welcomed to the city and its culture.

Musical city

Wrought iron is typical of the French Quarter. Often created by enslaved people. Though there is no evidence that this particular iron was or was not created by enslaved people, it is emblematic of the architectural style. Additionally, it represents the strong ties that New Orleans has to music.

Big charity

Abandoned hospital. Deliberately destroyed to justify the building of a new hospital that would have elevated prices. The destruction of the hospital also engraved the message that people of lower socioeconomic status would not be able to access affordable healthcare.

Rebuilt houses in lower 9th ward

Like all of New Orleans, the lower 9th ward gets a lot of rain and thus flooding is not uncommon. Houses are built on stilts to try to avoid these floods. Architecture is used to be functional in some cases and purely decoration in other places.

"Rebuilt" house in lower 9th ward

Built by Tom Cruise, a celebrity with no architectural knowledge of what type of houses were best for the geographical location. A flat roof is not conducive to the amount of rain that New Orleans gets and the overall structural integrity of the home was questioned when many parts of it began to deteriorate.

Art at the Whitney Plantation

Sculptures at the Whitney Plantation serve as a reminder of New Orleans's history and involvement in the slave trade. The plantations that are open for public touring serve as a form of education when it comes to remembering and not forgetting the city's history.

Quarters of enslaved people at the Whitney Plantation

Historic preservation in the name of education. Demonstrates the extreme differences in where enslaved people and where enslavers lived. Enslaved quarters are basic and small, enslavers lived in grandiose houses. The Whitney Plantation has chosen to preserve this architectural example in order to demonstrate what life was like for enslaved people. When juxtaposed with the Oak Alley Plantation, which has chosen to convert the quarters of enslaved people into rentable overnight cabins, it becomes clear the role that institutions have in shaping a historical narrative. Choosing what type of architecture to preserve, and in what way to preserve it demonstrates how history can become warped.

Ms. Gloria's Garden

Community garden located in New Orleans that is open to the public in order to learn about the importance of community and collaboration, in addition to learning about sourcing food from a local source.

Stretch of plantations along the Mississippi River

Demonstrates how much of the New Orleans economy was tied into the slave trade. The city, along with many others in the United States, was built upon the backs of enslaved people. Shows how much access there was to labor when building New Orleans and emphasizes the prevalence of enslavement.

Remnants of Hurricane Katrina in the lower 9th ward

Spray painted by rescue operations to show the date the house was checked, how many deceased were found, and which group performed the search. The house has not been renovated since then and remains abandoned.

Architecture in the French Quarter

Although it is known as the French Quarter, architecture is typical of the Spanish style. Demonstrates how much of the city has been impacted by various colonization missions. Highlights how many different groups (French, British, American, Spanish) have controlled the city at different points.

Preservation Hall

Jazz is a significant cultural part of New Orleans's culture as it can be heard in the airport, on the streets, and in concert halls such as the one seen above. The lyrics heard in some jazz songs are emblematic of New Orleans's history and sometimes depict the events or emotions felt by the songs writers.

Remnants of the Spanish control in New Orleans: nomenclature

Shows various colonization missions that controlled New Orleans. Explains the name of "Bourbon Street" as being from a king, not the alcoholic beverage. Emphasizes again that the city was built by many different groups, and the role that the Spanish empire played in the creation of the city.

Whitney Plantation

Memorial to just some of the enslaved people at the Whitney Plantation. Concrete slabs have black granite on top of them with stories and quotes engraved into them demonstrating the harsh realities of enslavement. Built to look like tombs of New Orleans graveyards. Architecturally designed to be walked amongst, most people being shorter than the height of the concrete, to encourage reflection.

Crossing into the lower 9th ward

The lower ninth ward is located on the other side of a bridge that connects it with the rest of the city. Being separated from the rest of the city makes it hard for emergency services to get to the lower 9th ward in an emergency, as a majority of the ward has yet to be rebuilt and the city has not made any efforts to fund its reconstruction or invest in businesses. The lower Ninth Ward continues to be a predominantly black lower class and underfunded neighborhood after the effects of Hurricane Katrina.