Crafting a Love Letter to New Orleans

A beloved post-Katrina icon adds new beauty to Downtown NOLA.

Author

Staff
February 13, 2025

The I ⚜️ NOLA sign will be displayed in Downtown New Orleans throughout 2025. Don’t miss it!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, it seems fitting to celebrate by sharing a public art project / love letter that Downtown FabWorks recently had the pleasure of creating and installing in Downtown New Orleans’ famed Spanish Plaza.

The “I ⚜️ NOLA” (“I Fleur De Lis NOLA”) installation was sponsored by New Orleans’ Downtown Development District (DDD) and Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO), and is the first of a number of placemaking projects scheduled for 2025 in Downtown New Orleans. It’s part of a campaign that invites both visitors and locals to see—and celebrate—the city from a new angle. 

The sign was modeled after the iconic logo of local organization Desire NOLA, a non-profit created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to support civic and community-based projects in the Crescent City. 

Measuring 16’ long by 4’4” high, the steel, wood, foam, and fiberglass structure features black lettering juxtaposed against a bold red fleur de lis, making the semi-permanent installation the perfect social media photo op. 

Fabricating the letter layers: foam, plywood, and sturdy steel plates to integrate the letters and plinth during final construction.

Each letter measured 2’10” tall and was fabricated separately. Finishing included weatherproofing to ensure the letters could stand up to New Orleans’ temperamental climate.

The wood components of the fleur de lis were precision cut by our CNC team.

The Finishing team hung the fleur de lis to ensure an even, all-over finish.

Elements are tested for fit throughout the fabrication process. Here, the Metalworks team tests how the the letters’ steel cores connect to the plinth.

Final inspection and touchups before disassembling the sign to take it downtown. Next stop - Spanish Plaza!

Since so much of Downtown FabWorks’ origin story is centered around our founder Dan Krall’s move to the city to help rebuild in the months following 2005’s tragic hurricane, we felt honored to be invited to construct this project. In-house, we’ve lovingly referred to it as the “NOLA Letters,” a nod to the fact that it is more than a sign—it’s a love letter to our hometown.

The technical design and fabrication process for this project showcased how our Project Management, Design, CNC, Metalworks, Millwork, Finishing, and Install teams work together seamlessly to create safe, durable, and attractive work that brings our clients’ artistic visions to life.

As in many of our projects, Downtown FabWorks wasn’t the only team working hard to make the overall dream come true. Additional firms working on this project included local engineering firm Batture, LLC, stonework company La Pavers, and custom plaque manufacturer Ed. Smith’s Stencil Works, Ltd.

Looking for help crafting a masterpiece of your own? Downtown FabWorks offers experiential fabrication & technical design for live events, brand activations, immersive exhibits, themed environments, public art installations (and more!) across the U.S.

Connect with us via phone at (504) 766-0099 or email at [email protected] to request a quote.