Karnofsky Talior Shop Reconstruction
427 South Rampart Street
Client: GBX Group
Scope: New Construction, Preservation Easement
Status: 2025
Size: 4,200 sq.ft
Budget: $1,300,000
Collaborators: Synergy Consulting Engineers, Batture, Mayer Building Company
Heritage on the edge: embracing resilience to address a changing climate
Situated between the infamous 300 and 400 blocks of South Rampart Street in New Orleans, the Karnofsky Tailor Shop at 427 South Rampart Street is one of the few buildings that remained after the historically significant street was devastated by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Once a place where Louis Armstrong spent much of his childhood, Karnofsky Tailor Shop is remembered as the birthplace of jazz in the early twentieth century. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Studio West was chosen by the current owners to design the reconstruction of the Karnofsky Tailor Shop—blending historic architectural practices with modern, resilient construction techniques to stand the test of time.
Throughout this process, it was found that since the building was destroyed by a natural disaster, it was no longer eligible for Historic Tax Credit. Despite this, the building was still subject to a Preservation Easement, administered by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, which allowed for a unique and cherished form of collaboration and engagement to preserve not just the architecture of the building, but also the local community.
Studio West carefully researched and studied the iconic history and infrastructure of the building—a process that involved sifting through historic and recent photographs and identifying which resources remained viable after the hurricane.
Over the course of six months, Studio West worked alongside the Preservation Resource Center and Preservation Easement Committee, utilizing the National Park Service Standards for Reconstruction to collaboratively develop construction drawings that aligned with the original and historic exterior of the structure.
In acknowledgement of the shifting and unpredictable climate, this consisted of configuring a new and sustainable infrastructure, informed by resilient design techniques that could withstand future natural disasters.
The revival of Kanofsky’s embraces modern construction techniques, including a steel building frame and metal stud wall for the rebuild, while existing brick masonry units were carefully salvaged and restored, providing a cavity-wall for the reconstruction.
As one of the last remaining historic structures on South Rampart Street, the design approach for Karnofsky's Tailor Shop has also played an influential role in inspiring Studio West’s design and reconstruction of the 400 block of South Rampart Development, ensuring a fluid dialogue between Karnofsky’s Tailor Shop and its greater social cultural fabric.
