In the heart of downtown New Orleans, the 14-story, 165,000 sq ft Virgin Hotels high-rise brings five-star hospitality to the city’s historic Warehouse District. Wells supported the project team in achieving their vision, delivering a high-performance exterior that respects the neighborhood’s architectural character through the use of GateLite® — Wells’ unitized, resilient facade system.

With embedded brick and integral insulation, GateLite® provides a complete thermal, vapor and air barrier, supporting the client’s goals for an efficient, off-site fabricated approach while meeting the requirements of the Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission. All components of the facade were fully coordinated within the Revit model, including brick coursing, window details, vents, reinforcing and connection hardware, supporting precision, collaboration and constructability from design through installation.