Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans |
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The vacant structure, seen from the Mississippi River, 2015
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| General information | |
| Type | Hotel/condominium |
| Location | 2 Canal Street New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 29°56′56″N 90°03′48″W / 29.948976°N 90.063355°W |
| Completed | 1967 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | N/A |
| Roof | 407 feet (124 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 33 |
| Lifts/elevators | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Edward Durell Stone |
The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans is a very tall building in New Orleans, Louisiana. It has 33 floors and is about 407 feet (124 meters) high. A famous architect named Edward Durell Stone designed it. This building is located right on Canal Street in the city's main business area.
A Building with Many Names
When the building first opened in 1967, it was called the "ITM Building." This stood for the International Trade Mart. Later, it became known as the World Trade Center New Orleans.
For many years, this building was a hub for international business. It housed offices for different countries, called foreign consulates. It was also the main office for the Port of New Orleans, which is a very busy port for ships and trade.
The Revolving Restaurant
From the 1970s until 2001, the very top floor had a special restaurant. It was called "Top of the Mart." This restaurant was unique because it slowly spun around. It completed one full turn every hour, giving diners amazing views of the city.
After "Top of the Mart" closed, another restaurant called "360" opened in its place. This name also referred to the 360-degree views. However, "360" closed after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. The entire World Trade Center building then closed its doors in June 2011. The city of New Orleans later bought the building.
What Happened Next?
After the building closed, people had many ideas for its future. One group, called "Save WTC NOLA," wanted to fix up the building. They believed it should be renovated, not torn down. Others thought the building should be removed to create a new park or a city landmark.
The building is very important to history. On June 9, 2014, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a special historical site.
A New Chapter
In 2018, work began to give the building a new life. It was decided that it would become a luxurious Four Seasons Hotel. The plans included 341 hotel rooms for guests. It would also have 92 special apartments, called hotel-serviced condos, on the top floors.
This big project was expected to cost about $450 million. The goal was to finish the renovation by late 2020. In January 2021, one of the most expensive apartments, called a penthouse, was sold for almost $13 million.
