The Royal Orleans Hotel, designed by Arthur Q. Davis in 1960, 621 St. Louis St. (Ray Tyler/NYT Institute)

“Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans,” a song made famous by Louis Armstrong, has even more meaning for those attempting to save the city’s traditional buildings while embracing contemporary architecture.

Before Hurricane Katrina, the “missing” part of New Orleans referred to historic architectural treasures that were no longer standing or were in danger of being lost.  After the storm, “missing New Orleans” has been redefined as the few homes and businesses that were spared from  floodwaters and wind damage.

“During Katrina, we watched buildings be destroyed on TV,” said J. Richard Gruber, director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. “Key elements of the city have disappeared in a relatively short period of time.”

As the city continues to rebuild itself, the question of how New Orleans will be revitalized remains. For architects and city officials, the solution to the devastation has been to reinvent New Orleans by merging its distinct modern and traditional architecture.

The Warehouse District, now known as the Arts District, represents the current state of the city, the fusion of French Creole architecture and contemporary design. The open spaces of the warehouses have been transformed to lofts and trendy restaurants but  still maintain their original exterior. The Contemporary Arts Center and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art have come to represent the current trend.

In the overgrown fields of the low-lying Ninth Ward, neglected single-story shotgun houses sit next to newly constructed homes with solar panels and energy-saving appliances. The new homes, assembled by the Make It Right Foundation, boast more angular, contemporary designs than the typical New Orleans homes.

“People have criticized the design of the homes being built and question how they fit into the Lower Ninth Ward,” said Jack Davis, a board member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The design fits the shotgun style, takes advantage of the climate with the solar panel and porches and captures the spirit of New Orleans.”

Preservation is a culture in itself in New Orleans. Battles have been long fought to save and restore architecture with the signature Creole influence, which includes wrought-iron archways, wide porches called galleries and French doors. Preservationists boast of the abundant elegance and charm of the city that attracts many, from Creole cottages to balconies in the French Quarter with their lacy gates and trims that define architectural legacy in New Orleans.

“Unfortunately, so much of what the government has been doing to restore New Orleans has been insensitive to the quality of heritage,” Davis said. “The city measures success by how many buildings have been demolished, but needs to be more careful about demolishing anything in a city where so many buildings make up global cultural treasures.”

In 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Charity Hospital and the neighboring Mid-City Historic District on its list of America’s most endangered historic places. The building suffered flood damage during the hurricane and never reopened. “Officials in New Orleans rarely attribute preservation with benefiting the economy as the main drivers related to tourism and travel,” Davis said. “This is one city in the country that should use preservation as its number one tool to boost the economy.”

The attention spent honoring historic buildings has caused works of modern architecture to become a dying breed in New Orleans. The community’s attempts to quickly rebuild the storm-damaged city and a reluctance to embrace contemporary architecture have led to few buildings’ being modeled in that style. Since Katrina, New Orleans modern architectural structures have been increasingly slated for demolition.

“There is a tremendous legacy for contemporary architecture that is underappreciated and not well documented,” Gruber said. “Some battles have been lost, but others can be saved.”

St. Francis Cabrini Church, a 20^th century landmark, succumbed to a wrecking ball in June 2007. Completed in 1964 with a modernist silhouette by New Orleans-based architect Arthur Q. Davis, the building was replaced by a glistening new Holy Cross School, a Catholic boys’ institute whose Ninth Ward campus was destroyed after the hurricane. “Integrating modernism hasn’t been an easy task. There was resistance to its presence in a city rooted in architectural history and tradition,” said Gruber, of the  Ogden Museum, which is presenting “Legacy of a Modern Architect,” an exhibition highlighting the issue of preservation and the contributions of Arthur Q. Davis to New Orleans architecture.

Davis, while part of the Curtis & Davis architectural firm, gave New Orleans several of its most revolutionary modern structures, including the Superdome, the New Orleans Public Library and the Automotive Life Insurance building.

“These buildings are really quite revolutionary in their design. The structures are worth saving because the unique designs add character to the city landscape and are more durable than the buildings likely to replace them,” added Davis, who is 89 and works with the Preservation Resource Center to protect buildings under threat.

Jack Davis of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who is not related to Arthur Davis, says that there can be room for both traditional and contemporary designs.

“Preserving what we know about the city will revitalize neighborhoods and bring New Orleans back to life,” he said.