The U.S. Custom House in New Orleans is among the oldest and most important federal buildings in the southern United States and is one of the major works of architecture commissioned by the federal government in the nineteenth century. Construction of this monumental granite building began in 1848 and was built over a period of 33 years. The grand Marble Hall in the center of the building is one of the finest Greek Revival interiors in the United States. The Marble Hall, among the first of such rooms in the country, is ornamented with Corinthian columns that depict the heads of the mythological gods, symbolizing the city's location at the crescent bend of the Mississippi River.

 

As a part of our project to restore the Custom House in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, PDG collaborated with the State and GSA Historic Preservation Offices, as well as with our historic preservation specialist, to recapture the historic appearance of the building, exposing original components such as vaulted ceilings, and replicating missing or deteriorated interior elements and finishes, including the skylight over the stairs.

​

PDG Architects received The Richard H. Driehaus National Historic Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation – 2012 and Engineering News Record (ENR) 2011 “Award of Merit – Renovation/Restoration” for our design.

​