New Orleans is a heavy hitter when it comes to the world of architecture with O.G.s like Henry Howard, James Gallier, Jr., and James Freret holding down the fort. Let's not forget about the few new-ish (relatively speaking), not-your-standard New Orleans structures, though, and the starchitects behind the design. There's the world-renowned designer César Pelli on board for the New Orleans International Airport's new terminal with plans to bring ole' MSY to "world class status" (at last!) and a shout-out to the modernists responsible for the beloved Superdome. From Frank "don't call me a starchitect" Gehry's Make It Right house in the Lower Ninth Ward to architect Ammar Eloueini's under-construction, mind-boggling Uptown home, it's all here in this handy little map. Did we skim over your favorite starchitect? Tell us all about it on the tipline or in the comments below.
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Mapping Nine Starchitect-Designed Structures in New Orleans

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Starchitect César Pelli, no stranger to airport design with the old TWA wing at JFK in NYC and Ronald Reagan terminal in D.C. under his belt, is on board to fix up our very own MSY to bring it to "world class" status. Co-pilots: Manning Architects, Crescent City Aviation Team, and Leo A. Daly/Atkins on Team Design.
J House
Years in the making, architect Ammar Eloueini's Uptown project, known as the "J House" is a twisting steel structure with a diagonal skylight and an exterior of charred cedar planks.
photo: digit-all.net
The National WWII Museum
NYC-based Voorsanger Architects, known for their museum designs around the world, teamed up with local firm Mathes Brierre Architects for the National World War II Museum construction.
photo: National WWII Museum
930 Poydras Luxury Apartments
Built by local starchitecture firm Eskew+Dumez+Ripple in 2010, the 21-story mixed-use structure has 250 apartments, a raised courtyard designed to encourage human interaction in a shared space, and there's a glass "sky lobby" that juts out of the facade.
photo: Eskew+Dumez+Ripple
Piazza D'Italia
Designed by the late postmodern architect Charles Moore and local firm Perez & Associates, this curious public plaza has neon-lit colonnades and a clock tower gateway.
photo: nola.agent/flickr
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Local starchitects Arthur Q. Davis and Nathaniel "Buster" Curtis (RIP) won hundreds of design awards and were known for their modernist style, a New Orleans rarity. They're also the designers of the Superdome, which was the world's largest clear-space steel dome when completed.
photo: lam_chihang/flickr
Frank Gehry 'Make It Right' home
Frank "don't call me a starchitect" Gehry teamed up with Brad Pitt & Co. post-Katrina for this duplex in the Lower 9th Ward, which was completed in 2012. “I wanted to make a house that I would like to live in and one that responded to the history, vernacular and climate of New Orleans," Gehry said.
photo: Make It Right
Shigeru Ban 'Make It Right' Home
International architect Shigeru Ban won this year's Pritzker Architecture Prize (a big deal in the world of modern architecture). He's known for his use of cardboard tubing, which was not an influence on this house.
photo: Make It Right
Thom Mayne 'Make It Right' Home
Architect Thom Mayne of the California-based firm Morphosis designed this "floating house" for Brad Pitt's Make It Right neighborhood.
photo: Make It Right
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