Restaurant One Thirteen

Restaurant One Thirteen was a historic renovation/adaptive reuse of a circa 1950 mid-century modern medical clinic, originally designed by a famed Louisiana modernist architect, John Desmond. The old clinic had been vacant for several years and was falling into disrepair. The client and architect identified the great potential in adapting the historic jewel into an up-scale restaurant. Extensive research determined that the original building (a gas station) had been added on to by John Desmond to create the mid-century modern classic. The architects took great care to keep intact those elements that were designed and added by John Desmond. All additions and renovations took place in the original “gas station” portion of the building. Some of the more character-defining elements of the Desmond structure included painted exposed structural steel, cypress wood soffits/ceilings, custom-built steel frame windows, and beautiful translucent Carrara marble, which was glazed into the window system. All of these elements were maintained and restored.