The site for this Ferrari dealership in Carrollton, New Orleans, contains a fragment of a long-defunct levee parallel to Monticello Avenue. This mound provides a topographic change so unusual for this flat city that it demands exploitation by any intervention on the site. An early design (the center massing study on the 'Study models' page) refers both to a racetrack and to the sloped streets and tight turns of a little Italian hill town, where sights of Ferraris, Bugattis, etc. being test-driven are common. In a similar way, the final design places the automobiles on a pedestal — at the height of the levee crown, to be precise — while directly connecting them to the open road. The Oak Street façade's height and angled curtain wall create the impression of a main entry, but the gated main entrance is hidden behind the levee on Monticello. This building displays its wares proudly, but demands consideration and purpose on the part of customers before entering. One does not merely pull off of Oak on a whim to gawk at some hot cars — the visitor must know beforehand the means of entrance. A metal screen separates customer parking, beneath the three ramp-bridges, from the traffic on Oak Street, rendering cars on the road visible but partially obscured. An elevator lifts patrons to a catwalk with showroom bays to one side and open lounge alcoves on the other. This 'upper room' allows a full view of the repair bays at grade, juxtaposing cars with skins intact and partially removed. Rotating platforms beneath the billowing showroom roof accommodate the Ferraris themselves, making for a 180-degree ritual before each test drive. Tulane University School of Architecture Instructor: Stephen Jacobs Spring 2004