This project transformed the historic B. Rosenberg & Sons Building in New Orleans’ French Quarter into a restaurant and music club, which is the flagship property for the House of Blues. The design team used the rhythm and blues juke joints of the Delta Region as a design precedent. Even though the facility is 24,000 square feet, the interior planning and decoration lend the intimate experience a club in the Mississippi River Delta where locals and famous folks played and guests felt like family. 

While the French Quarter is an ideal location, the historic building presented challenges, including deterioration and the demands of restoring the property to meet the standards for historic buildings. Ferns grew out of cracks in the white glazed brick exterior. The structure was excavated down to the massive pile foundations of the former manufacturing facility. Manning worked closely with the National Parks Service and developed the application for historic tax credits, ushering the process through completion. Additionally, the city’s approval was required for a conditional use. Manning prepared the application, coordinated with city representatives, and followed the process through to final approval.

After the project was well underway, the client asked Manning  to oversee the renovation of the adjacent Werlein Building. This added to the project’s footprint, creating a larger retail space, banquet and kitchen facilities, and a VIP club, the House of Blues Foundation Room.