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Laying the foundation for a hub of entrepreneurship in the developing downtown innovation corridor.
The Shop is a 100,000-square-foot comprehensive co-working development on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC). One of the first spaces of its kind, this dynamic restoration offers small businesses, entrepreneurs, and arts-based professionals the resources they need to grow.
With 40,000-square-foot of workspace, this light-filled system of interconnected offices and workspaces features high ceilings with exposed beams, large windows, a contemporary art collection, an open floor plan, and an architectural staircase that connects the 3rd and 4th floors.
The heart of The Shop is the commons area designed to facilitate collaboration and conversation. This space includes a full kitchen, varied seating options, as well as a communal and recreational space.
In addition to the restoration of these spaces, Impetus (formerly Palmisano) also demolished and reconstructed a 19,000-square-foot adjacent warehouse. This included a topping slab, conditioned space, an operable partition for separation of spaces, new roll-up doors, and additional storage space.
SIZE OF PROJECT
0 SF
LOCATION
New Orleans, LA
OWNER
Domain Companies
ARCHITECT
EskewDumezRipple+
TYPE
Renovation/Restoration
INDUSTRY
Office/Commercial
AWARDS
2019 AIA Louisiana Merit Award
2018 Good Design Is Good Business Award
2018 American Architecture Award
2018 AIA New Orleans Honor Award
2018 IIDA Delta Regional Chapter Award of Excellence
At Impetus, we are entrepreneurs who are empowered to drive real change. Partnering with The Shop was a perfect opportunity to build a space that drives the growth of New Orleans and the people who work here.
During the 10-month project, Impetus was tasked with developing a site plan that allowed the building to remain fully operational while crafting a schedule with staff, visitors, and neighbors in mind. Communication and flexibility were critical.
For two months, our teams performed demolition from 3am until 11am, communicated daily schedules with museum staff and relocated materials so that galleries beyond the lobby remained open and accessible to the public.
Constructed in the early 1900s in a former shipping storage neighborhood, the building originally served as the headquarters for K&B, a local drugstore and soda fountain. Donated to the CAC in the 1970s, this space was integral in the revitalization of the neighborhood as an arts district. Before Impetus was involved, this space had not been modernized since the 1990s and required renovations that were straining resources.
The Shop is just around the corner from world-class museums, galleries, new developments, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and residences in New Orleans. This groundbreaking concept not only fosters new ways of creating and working, but it also serves as the cornerstone of what is quickly becoming the region’s thriving innovation corridor.
