The city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, is the site of 106 completed high-rises,[1] 45 of which stand taller than 250feet. The tallest building in the city is Hancock Whitney Center, which rises 697feet in the New Orleans Central Business District and was completed in 1972. It also stands as the tallest building in the state of Louisiana. The second-tallest skyscraper in the city is Place St. Charles, which rises 645feet. Nine of the ten tallest buildings in Louisiana are located in New Orleans.
The history of skyscrapers in New Orleans began with the construction of the Hennan Building in 1895; this building, rising 158feet, is often regarded as the first skyscraper in New Orleans.[2] The 20-story Hibernia Bank Building, constructed in 1921 at a height of 211feet, held the title of the tallest in New Orleans for 44 years. But, for most of the 20th century, the skyline of New Orleans consisted of only low and mid-rise structures. The soft soils of New Orleans are susceptible to subsidence,[3] and there was doubt about the feasibility of constructing large high-rises in such an environment. This trend was broken with the construction of the World Trade Center in 1967. The Plaza Tower, completed in 1969, was the first building to exceed 500feet. Shortly thereafter, Hancock Whitney Center took its place as the city's tallest building in 1972. The oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s led to more construction of high-rises in New Orleans, with the completion of 17 of the city's 40 tallest buildings. Today, the high-rises of New Orleans are clustered along Canal Street and Poydras Street in the Central Business District. Poydras Street in particular has emerged as the city's principal high-rise corridor.
As New Orleans continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina, various projects have been proposed but increasing material and labor costs have eliminated some.[4] [5] The tallest tower approved for construction in the city was Trump International Hotel & Tower; upon completion it would have become the tallest building in New Orleans at a height of 842feet, but construction was delayed and eventually cancelled in 2011.[6] Phase 3 of Canal Place is another skyscraper proposed for construction in the city. In addition, while not new construction, many of the older buildings in the central business district are undergoing renovations to condominium, apartment and hotel towers; these projects include the National American Bank Building.[4]
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This lists ranks New Orleans skyscrapers that stand at least 250feet tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
| Rank | Name | Image | Height ft (m) | Floors | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Whitney Center | 697feet | 51 | 1972 | Has been the tallest building in New Orleans and Louisiana since 1972; tallest building in the Southeastern United States at the time of its completion; first Southeastern skyscraper to rise higher than 656feet; tallest building constructed in the city in the 1970s.[7] | |||
| Place St. Charles | 645feet | 53 | 1984 | Has more floors than any other building in the city; tallest building constructed in New Orleans in the 1980s,[8] | |||
| Plaza Tower | 531feet | 45 | 1969 | Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1960s; since 2002 the tallest unused building in the city.[9] | |||
| Energy Centre | 530feet | 39 | 1984 | [10] | |||
| BankPlus Tower | 481feet | 36 | 1987 | [11] | |||
| Sheraton New Orleans | 479feet | 49 | 1982 | Tallest building used exclusively as a hotel in New Orleans.[12] | |||
| New Orleans Marriott | 449feet | 42 | 1972 | Tallest building on the downriver side of Canal Street.[13] | |||
| 400 Poydras Tower | 442feet | 32 | 1983 | [14] | |||
| One Canal Place | 440feet | 32 | 1979 | [15] | |||
| 1010 Common | 438feet | 31 | 1970 | [16] | |||
| 407feet | 33 | 1967 | [17] | ||||
| Benson Tower | 406feet | 26 | 1989 | [18] | |||
| JW Marriott Hotel New Orleans | 386feet | 30 | 1984 | [19] | |||
| 373feet | 29 | 1983 | [20] | ||||
| 225 Baronne Street | 362feet | 29 | 1965 | [21] [22] | |||
| Hyatt Regency New Orleans | 361feet | 32 | 1976 | [23] | |||
| Entergy Tower | 360feet | 28 | 1983 | [24] | |||
| Hibernia Bank Building | 355feet | 20 | 1921 | Tallest building constructed in New Orleans in the 1920s.[25] | |||
| 1250 Poydras Plaza | 342feet | 24 | 1979 | [26] | |||
| The Odeon at South Market | 342feet | 29 | 2020 | Tallest building constructed in the city in the 2020s.[27] [28] | |||
| Hilton New Orleans Riverside | 341feet | 29 | 1977 | [29] | |||
| 1515 Poydras | 341feet | 29 | 1984 | [30] | |||
| National American Bank Building | 330feet | 23 | 1929 | [31] | |||
| Harrah's New Orleans - Poydras Street Hotel | 327feet | 26 | 2006 | Tallest building constructed in the city in the 2000s.[32] | |||
| Pan American Life Center | 322feet | 27 | 1980 | [33] | |||
| Poydras Center | 300feet | 28 | 1983 | [34] | |||
| 1440 Canal | 288feet | 21 | 1972 | [35] | |||
| Orleans Tower | 280feet | 20 | 1977 | [36] | |||
| Charity Hospital | 279feet | 20 | 1939 | Tallest building constructed in the city in the 1930s; tallest hospital in New Orleans.[37] | |||
| Le Méridien New Orleans | 279feet | 23 | 1984 | [38] | |||
| Loews New Orleans Hotel | 276feet | 22 | 1972 | [39] | |||
| Freeport McMoRan Building | 276feet | 23 | 1984 | [40] | |||
| Caesars Superdome | 273feet | 1972 | [41] [42] | ||||
| = | 930 Poydras | 270feet | 21 | 2010 | Tallest building constructed in the city in the 2010s.[43] [44] | ||
| 35= | Four Winds | 270feet | 19 | 1927 | [45] | ||
| 1555 Poydras | 262feet | 22 | 1984 | [46] | |||
| Windsor Court Hotel | 253feet | 22 | 1984 | [47] | |||
| First National Bank of Commerce Building | 252feet | 19 | 1927 | [48] | |||
| = | New Orleans Exchange Centre | 250feet | 22 | 1981 | |||
| 39= | AT&T Building | 250feet | 16 | 1983 | Formerly the BellSouth Building, the name was changed when AT&T merged with BellSouth in 2007. |
This lists buildings that once held the title of tallest building in New Orleans as well as the current titleholder, Hancock Whitney Center.
| Name | Street address | Years as tallest | Height ft (m) | Floors | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western St. Christopher Hotel | 114 Magazine Street | 1893–1895 | 117feet | 8 | [49] | |
| Hennen Building | 203 Carondelet Street | 1895–1904 | 158feet | 11 | [50] | |
| Hampton Inn New Orleans Downtown | 226 Carondelet Street | 1904–1907 | 190feet | 14 | [51] | |
| 123 Baronne Street | 1907–1921 | 211feet | 15 | [52] | ||
| Hibernia Bank Building | 812 Gravier Street | 1921–1965 | 355feet | 20 | ||
| 225 Baronne Street | 225 Baronne Street | 1965–1967 | 362feet | 29 | ||
| World Trade Center New Orleans | 2 Canal Street | 1967–1969 | 407feet | 33 | ||
| Plaza Tower | 1001 Howard Avenue | 1969–1972 | 531feet | 45 | ||
| Hancock Whitney Center | 701 Poydras Street | 1972–present | 697feet | 51 |
Metairie is an unincorporated area of Jefferson Parish, and considered a satellite city of New Orleans.
| Rank | Name | Location | Height ft (m) | Floors | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Lakeway Center | Metairie | 403feet | 34 | 1987 | Tallest building in Metairie and Jefferson Parish. Tallest building in Louisiana outside of New Orleans and Baton Rouge.[53] | |
| 2 | The Galleria | Metairie | 269feet | 21 | 1986 | [54] | |
| 3 | Two Lakeway Center | Metairie | 259feet | 19 | 1983 | [55] | |
| 4 | Heritage Plaza | Metairie | 245feet | 18 | 1983 | [56] | |
| 5 | Executive Tower One | Metairie | 204feet | 14 | 1972 | [57] [58] | |
| 6 | One Lakeway Center | Metairie | 193feet | 14 | 1982 | [59] |