ART & ARCHITECTURE: Architect & Developer MARCEL WISZNIA
UNION LOFTS
“I made the acquaintance of Marcel Wisznia in the Winter of 2006. The Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Rose had written an article about our chance encounter during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, earlier that year. He titled the editorial ’Peace Among the Ruins’ and placed me and my artwork on the radar of Marcel Wisznia and the New Orleans community.”
Months later I hosted an open studio at my space on Magazine Street and Marcel stopped by. He approached me and introduced himself and said: “I have a building on Carondelet Street called Union Lofts. I’d like to commission you to create 33 works of art for every apartment in the building, but your current body of work will give my tenants nightmares. Can you create a body of work specifically for the building that’s inspiring, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing?” I said: ‘Yes,’ and we have been friends, and successful collaborators ever since.
Marcel Wisznia is the smartest man in the room with a heart. He is loyal, supportive, generous and loves a challenge. There is nothing this man can’t do. Marcel’s purpose in life reminds me of the quote: “Leave it better than you found it.” He’s creating works of art with his projects to give his tenants a unique sensory experience. No cookie cutter concepts here. I’m thankful, fortunate, and appreciative of Marcel’s accomplishments and what he’s contributed to the landscape of Art in Architecture.
TERRENCE SANDERS-SMITH - Where were you born and raised? Who are your parents? Do you have any siblings? What did your parents do for a living?
MARCEL WISZNIA - I am first generation American. My parents are both European born. My father Walter was from Vienna and my mother Sonja was born in Frankfurt. They met in New York City and were married there. For various reasons, they settled down in Corpus Christi, Texas, where I was born and raised. I was one of three children. I had two sisters, one older and one younger. My father was an architect and real estate developer, and my mother was a homemaker.
TSS - Was your father’s practice influential in choosing architecture as a profession? If yes, please explain how and why.
MW - My father practiced architecture from 1947 until his death in 2004. I proudly proclaim he was an outstanding modern architect in south Texas the second half of the 20th century. So, not only did he influence my career and life, but that of my older sister Karen, who also studied architecture. Our family lived and breathed architecture. The first home we lived in was one designed by my father. The second home we lived in was also designed by him. In fact, before leaving for college, I never lived in a house that he did not design. And while in high school I interned in his office several summers. I was born to be an architect.
THE MARITIME
TSS - What architects alive or deceased have influenced you and your practice, and how?
MW - I was born in 1950, so midcentury architecture was what I was raised on. Architects like Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Saarinen, Eames and many more. The constant in their work is the timelessness of their designs, whether it be buildings or furniture. But that was the golden age of the profession. It has dramatically changed, and star architects no longer have that level of influence.
TSS - Where did you receive your architectural degree? How long have you been a licensed architect?
MW - I entered Tulane University’s School of Architecture in 1968 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1973. Upon graduation I opened my own practice, as I was too immature and idealistic to go to work for a firm. As three years of apprenticeship was required before qualifying to take the licensing exam, I found a loophole that allowed me to work for myself and get partial credit. In 1977, I had finally amassed enough hours to test. I remember it vividly, as it was a 3-day, 36- hour marathon. It was an exam given once a year, on the same day and time in each state. In Louisiana 142 of us took the exam and 35 of us passed.
SARATOGA LOFTS
TSS - Why did you choose New Orleans to set up your practice?
MW – As stated earlier, I was not ready to follow a conventional path to apprenticeship, and I did not want to go back to Texas and be the boss’s son. I admired my father because he was self-made, but I wanted the same for myself. New Orleans was an easy choice, as I already lived there and somewhat knew the community. That said, in hindsight I really did not understand how difficult it would be to be a modernist in a historically minded city. Couple that with how important family history was in building business relationships, and the challenges were significant.
TSS - When and why did you decide to add developer to the architecture firm?
MW - My father was really the pioneer. He began developing real estate in the 1950s. About 10 years into my practice, my father and I began working together, but not in the conventional sense. We began developing real estate together, and interestingly, none of it was in Louisiana. Our focus was in Texas and New Mexico. It was not until the turn of the century that New Orleans became a development focus. As an architect one is only as good as their client. The level of sophistication of one’s client strongly influences the success of a project. So, part of the job of the architect is to raise that level, so clients make better design decisions. Quite frankly, I grew tired of the time needed to educate clients, and quickly realized that if I act as the client as well as the architect, I can skip that educational step. For the past 20 years, we have only designed for our own portfolio.
THE GARAGE
TSS - What characteristics are needed to become a ‘great’ architect? What’s the most important quality you must have to be successful and sustain your practice in the current architecture and design climate?
MW – There is no simple answer. But to be successful one needs to rise to challenges that happen daily. In fact, I don’t know what the word “great” means. I do know that even after 50 years of practice, I continue to learn something new each day.
TSS - How many structures have you designed, and or built to date?
MW –I have not designed many new structures, and most of our work has focused on repurposing existing buildings. Our website outlines large and smaller scale buildings that we have redeveloped. Many are historic structures that we restored the exterior but dramatically changed the interiors. And like European architects, we did not mimic the past, but gave the buildings new life while understanding the rhythm, proportions and scale of the past while looking to the future.
THE TWO SAINTS
TSS - What are some of the structures that stand out to you as monumental that you have developed and where are they located?
MW – When asked what our best work is, I always reply: the next project. That said, we are quite proud of numerous development projects such as Union Lofts, The Maritime, The Saratoga, and The Garage in New Orleans and The Pizitz in Birmingham. And equally so with upcoming “shovel ready” projects such as Two Saints and Hotel Bonsai in New Orleans and the 600 Building in Corpus Christi. And these developments will be followed by a 23-acre mixed-use project in Lafayette, Louisiana called Trappey Riverfront Development. Like my father, I don’t have a strong desire to look back. I much prefer to look ahead. That is what motivates me to come to work each day.
TSS - When contemplating taking on a new project what are the deciding factors that influence your decision to go all in?
MW – As previously stated, our architectural practice solely serves the real estate development side. With the combined skillsets of architecture and development we can quickly and efficiently evaluate the highest & best uses and test them against financial metrics. We have become better architects because we are developers and the same in reverse. That is the “secret sauce” of our practice.
400 PENN PLAZA
TSS - Do you follow trends in architecture and design? Do you approach each project like a painter with a blank canvas? Briefly describe your process from concept to fruition.
MW – Yes, each project begins as a blank canvas. As developer architects we convene a charrette with staff members from both disciplines. We quickly explore zoning and permitted uses and start by discussing what would be best for the site. As an example, if the project is in downtown New Orleans, we intuitively know that the highest & best uses are either multifamily or hospitality. Other potential uses may be within the shared economy such as co-work or co-living. We look at the buildings on the block and how they are used. We then look at the surrounding neighborhood. And then we begin to see what gaps in uses this new development can fill…….and we begin to sketch. We explore them all…….and then we build proformas for each use. This starts with an assumptions page where we make educated guesses as to the cost of construction, the potential loan size, the needed equity, the potential revenue once completed and the cost to operate each use. This exercise greatly assists in finding the best use.
I must add that 99% of “conventional” architectural practices are unable to do what I just outlined. We are only one of a handful in this country that have these dual skills. If the architecture profession is to prosper in the future, more firms need to take control of their destinies by doing what we do. It does not have to be 100% of their practices, but…………..
TSS - What is your connection to the Tulane school of Architecture?
THE 600 BUILDING
MW – I remain active with the Tulane School of Architecture. For many years I have been a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council and have headed various committees. This Council helps steer the future of the program(s). Additionally, I have endowed an annual lecture in my father’s memory we call the Walter Wisznia Memorial Lecture. I chose to do so at Tulane although my father was a Columbia University graduate. Clearly, I wanted him to be remembered at Tulane because he sent two of his three children to Tulane and through the School of Architecture. Lastly, my graduating class of 1973 has endowed a Travel Fellowship where we send a student traveling each summer and then require them to lecture on their experience in the fall of the same year. This year will be 25 years since we started this. Each year the students get better and better.
TSS - What is your involvement with the Louisiana Architecture Foundation? What is the mission of the organization? Can you elaborate on past and present projects?
MW – I chair the Louisiana Architecture Foundation (LAF). Our mission is to teach the general public about our profession. In the 5 years prior to COVID we focused on hosting an annual Architecture & Design Film Festival. But at the start of the pandemic, we pivoted from showcasing films to producing films. This began with co-producing a film on a New Orleans modernist named Al Ledner. It was extremely well received. We then produced a film called Unexpected Modernism based on the lives and work of two Shreveport brothers named Wiener. Again, the film was highly successful. And now we are working on a film we call Ancestral Artistry which focuses on people of color and their influence on Louisiana architecture through building trades such as plastering, bricklaying and ironwork. These trades have been passed down from generation-to-generation, from slave-days to the present. Funds are raised for each film. And as we are nearing completion of this current film, we are already thinking of our subject matter for the next one.
I also chair the Creative Alliance of New Orleans (CANO). This non-profit’s focus is on the creative industries and their impact on our city. We oftentimes describe New Orleans as music, food, and architecture. Our creative industries make New Orleans unique and drive our economy.
THE PIZITZ
TSS - To date, how would you sum up your contribution to the landscape of architecture and design? What do you want to be remembered for? What’s Marcel Wisznia and the Wisznia | Architecture + Development’s legacy?
MW – There are very few architectural practices that have been in continuous practice since 1947. Although I did not begin to contribute until 1973, I am proud of the entire body of work. But if I am remembered after my time, it will be as an architect that was not afraid of using both sides of my brain; the creative and the logical. And in doing so, both are strengthened. A person I respect once described me as “having the ability to see around corners”. That has always been a gift; seeing trends before others do. The challenge with that is having the ability to act on this head start before others catch up. Post Hurricane Katrina another colleague was quoted as saying “In business, there are workhorses and there are show horses, but it is rare to find a workhorse so driven to the principles of beauty and function.” That viewpoint is reflected in the firm’s motto: [design-driven-development].
TSS – Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to introduce yourself to our readership.
MARCEL WISZNIA
