One Shell Square
Encyclopedia
One Shell Square is a 51-story, 212.45 m (697 ft) skyscraper
designed in the International style
by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
, located at 701 Poydras Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana
. It is the tallest building in both the city of New Orleans and the state
of Louisiana
. The building is primarily used for leaseable office space, with some retail space on the ground level. The design of the building is very similar to Houston's One Shell Plaza
, also built by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Hines Interest is the developer of One Shell Square and Lincoln Property Company. Shell Oil Company
is the building's largest tenant. Current occupancy of the building is approximately 90 percent.
core and a concrete perimeter, and opened for business in 1972. The exterior of the building is clad in Italian travertine (limestone) and bronze glass. There has been concern over the years regarding the limestone's integrity during severe weather such as tropical systems. Fortunately, these fears did not play out during Hurricane Katrina
in August 2005 and the building weathered the storm with minimal damage, such as blown out windows and rain damage. The building reopened to tenants in December 2005.
At the time of its completion in 1972, One Shell Square was the tallest building in the Southeast
, surpassing the Wachovia Bank of Georgia Building in Atlanta. It held the title of the Southeast's tallest building until 1976, when the Westin Peachtree Plaza
in Atlanta surpassed it. It was the first skyscraper in the South
to surpass the 200 meter mark.
A heliport
—the One Shell Square Emergency Heliport—is located on the roof of the tower.
One Shell Square has its own zipcode, 70139 surrounded by 70130.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
designed in the International style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
, located at 701 Poydras Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. It is the tallest building in both the city of New Orleans and the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The building is primarily used for leaseable office space, with some retail space on the ground level. The design of the building is very similar to Houston's One Shell Plaza
One Shell Plaza
One Shell Plaza is a 50 floor skyscraper at 910 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. At its completion in 1971, One Shell Plaza was the tallest building in Houston, Texas, standing 715 feet tall. Including the antenna tower on its top, the height is 1,000 feet .One Shell...
, also built by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Hines Interest is the developer of One Shell Square and Lincoln Property Company. Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
is the building's largest tenant. Current occupancy of the building is approximately 90 percent.
Construction and design
One Shell Square was built using a double tube system, with a steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
core and a concrete perimeter, and opened for business in 1972. The exterior of the building is clad in Italian travertine (limestone) and bronze glass. There has been concern over the years regarding the limestone's integrity during severe weather such as tropical systems. Fortunately, these fears did not play out during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in August 2005 and the building weathered the storm with minimal damage, such as blown out windows and rain damage. The building reopened to tenants in December 2005.
At the time of its completion in 1972, One Shell Square was the tallest building in the Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, surpassing the Wachovia Bank of Georgia Building in Atlanta. It held the title of the Southeast's tallest building until 1976, when the Westin Peachtree Plaza
Westin Peachtree Plaza
The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta is a skyscraper hotel in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Peachtree Street adjacent to the Peachtree Center complex and the former Davison's/Macy's flagship store...
in Atlanta surpassed it. It was the first skyscraper in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
to surpass the 200 meter mark.
A heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
—the One Shell Square Emergency Heliport—is located on the roof of the tower.
Location
One Shell Square is bounded by Poydras Street to the south, Carondelet Street to the west, Perdido Street to the north, and St. Charles Avenue to the east.One Shell Square has its own zipcode, 70139 surrounded by 70130.
See also
External links
- One Shell Square official Website
- One Shell Square at Hines Interests Limited PartnershipHines Interests Limited PartnershipHines Interests Limited Partnership is privately held international commercial real estate concern with its headquarters located in the Williams Tower in Uptown Houston, Texas...
- Lincoln Property Company
- Boston.com Article