
K&B Plaza - New Orleans, LA
Posted by:
JimmyEv
N 29° 56.578 W 090° 04.389
15R E 782511 N 3316069
Ten abstract pieces, plus a fountain designed by artist Isamu Noguchi, grace the plaza of this international-style office building designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill overlooking Lee Circle.
Waymark Code: WM14YZ
Location: Louisiana, United States
Date Posted: 01/15/2007
Views: 140
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed this seven-story concrete building for John Hancock Life Insurance in 1962. The building, as ugly as it may seem now, was highly acclaimed when built for its modern style. K&B, a local drugstore chain owned by Sydney Besthoff, purchased the office building in 1972 for its corporate headquarters. Besthoff, an astute collector of modern sculpture, made the purchase in large part because of the fountain by Isamu Noguchi. After the purchase, he donated the former K&B Headquarters to the Contemporary Arts Center. Besthoff added several other abstract pieces to the plaza overlooking Lee Circle, and filled the lobby of the building with abstract paintings. Although K&B was sold to Rite Aid in 1997, ownership of the building remained with Besthoff. Both the plaza and the lobby are open to the public 9am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday.
