First Design Award, Louisiana Architects Association
Honor Award for Design, Vieux Carré Commission
Published, Progressive Architecture
“Robert Biery initiated the planning and supervision of the restoration the Old U.S. Mint, a National Landmark and one of the eight buildings of the Louisiana Museum. I found Mr. Biery to be a highly qualified professional with excellent design qualities and the ability to assist in the management of a complicated restoration project....He is well-organized and easy to work with and discuss elements of the project. His ability to communicate with the agency was a major factor in the success of the Mint project.
- Robert R. Macdonald, Director Louisiana State Museum Board”
LOCATION: The retired U. S. Mint building in New Orleans, c. 1835, is located on a city block at the edge of the French Quarter. It was built on the original site of Fort St. Charles, c. 1792. In its long history the building, originally designed as a Federal mint by architect William Strickland, underwent changes for such uses as a U. S. Public Health facility, c. 1909, a federal prison, c. 1931, and a Coast Guard Depot, c.1943.
CHALLENGE: The State of Louisiana wanted to completely renovate the 3-story, 60,000 square foot masonry structure - which had been unused and neglected for 35 years – into a cultural museum with related restaurant and commercial spaces. The building required substantial repairs to the existing fabric as well as the introduction of modern services.
SOLUTION: To make every effort to preserve the 140 year-old building’s character and patina while displaying the unique structural system of vaulted spaces, colonnades and thick plastered brick walls.
Over a year of research was required to develop systems for the repairs, and to find original drawings and documents to guide the work. Missing architectural elements, such as ironwork railings, were fabricated from the architect’s original designs, or from similar projects he built. Since the structure was repeatedly modified over the years, no single time period in the building’s history was represented in the renovation. The iron prison cell block was restored in one wing, and modified into a bar/lounge in the other. The Mint’s exterior was re-painted in one of its earliest color schemes – vibrant terra cotta with a light gray stenciled joint pattern to represent stone walls. Gray granite columns and casings, and dark blue-green ironwork form an elegant counterpoint to the overall color scheme.
The rear work yards of the E-shaped floor-plan face the city’s historic French Quarter. To welcome tourists, they were re-fashioned into 3 stone paved courtyards – an outdoor performance space, an orchard, a space featuring an original Desire streetcar - and a green-space to relax from the hot, bustling sidewalks of the Vieux Carré.
An extensive program of waterproofing, injected deep into the base of the extensive masonry wall plan, resolved dampness issues for the forthcoming museum exhibits. Entirely new electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems were installed as discretely as possible so that the old building would be featured as a part of the museum, not merely a container for exhibits. What began as a factory became a storyteller.