images by Mathes Brierre Architects via One Stop App
The team behind the new Deutsche Haus plans were expecting to get the usual scrutinization from the City Planning Commission but were admittedly thrown for a loop when it came to the design critique, The Advocate reports. During last month's meeting, it was advised that plans for the future home of the German cultural center be "less Germanic looking." The CPC says adding their two cents on the design side of things for conditional use applications (like in the case of the Deutsche Haus) is nothing new and they're concerned about the structure complementing the "high profile" Bayou St. John site, a five-acre plot of land that sits across the waterway from City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art. The CPC's executive director told The Advocate, "We felt the design looked contrived, like something pulled out of a picture postcard."
A Curbed reader weighed in on the design debate and wrote:
"I really miss the original Deutsches Haus which was torn down for the convenience of the Baton Rouge interests. [ed. note: The organization lost its S. Galvez Street spot to make way for the new University Med Center and has been calling Metairie home since.] But, give me a break! How do they want the Deutsches Haus to look? French? Spanish? Muslim? They obviously have no sense of history. There was a time (before WWII) when the City had many of these 'singing associations.' They forget that many people of German descent still live in New Orleans. Someone wants to forget about German heritage altogether. However, the City had no problem with Brad Pitt's ugly 'houses.' They don't mesh with anything in New Orleans. They are the real blight."
Next up, the Deutsche Haus plans will hit City Council in a couple weeks and from there City Council can approve the plans as-is; approve the plans subject to a design switch-up (as the CPC suggests); or scrap the plans altogether.
· Criticism of proposed design surprised Deutsches Haus backers [Advocate]
· Deutsches Haus design apparently too 'Germanic looking' [Curbed NOLA]
· Deutsches Haus [official site]
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