The Waldorf Astoria New York originally opened in 1893 on the current site of the Empire State Building. In 1931 it opened at its current location on Park Avenue. In 1993 it was designated an official New York City landmark. Now, in 2017, the Waldorf Astoria New York has closed its doors in order to undergo one of the most complex and intensive landmark preservation efforts the City of New York has ever seen.
Plans for the renovation were recently submitted for public review by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The plans, which were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, outline the restoration all of the recently landmarked interior spaces.
If approved, the restoration will modernize the building’s functional capability and revive key elements of the Art Deco building that have been altered over time. The building’s historic public and events spaces will be restored to their original intent. Additionally, when the hotel reopens, it will feature new guest rooms, suites, and condominiums.
"Our design for the Waldorf Astoria New York reclaims the full potential of one of New York City's most legendary buildings and opens a new chapter in the hotel's celebrated history,” says Roger Duffy, Design Partner, SOM, in a release. “We are honored to be leading the effort to restore this Art Deco masterpiece, while turning it into a world-class destination for the 21st century."
SOM has previously led restoration and adaptive reuse projects for other New York landmarks such as the Moynihan Train Hall and the General Electric Building headquarters.
If everything stays on schedule, the Waldorf Astoria New York will reopen in two to three years.
Lobby. Rendering courtesy of SOM and Methanoia Inc.
Lexington Entry. Rendering courtesy of SOM and Methanoia Inc.
Peacock Alley. Rendering courtesy of SOM and Methanoia Inc.
Related Stories
| Jan 2, 2014
West Hollywood drug den to be remade into boutique hotel
San Vicente Inn, a cluster of century-old historic bungalows, known as a haven for nudists and drug users, in West Hollywood, Calif., will be converted into a boutique hotel.
| Dec 31, 2013
Top 10 blog posts from 2013
BD+C editors and our contributors posted hundreds of blogs in 2013. Here's a recap of the most popular topics. They include valuable lessons from one of the first BIM-related lawsuits and sage advice from AEC legend Arthur Gensler.
| Dec 27, 2013
U.S. Capitol dome’s cracks to be repaired during $60 million renovation
Rings of scaffolding will start to rise this spring around the cast-iron dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington as part of a $60 million renovation project to repair more than 1,300 cracks.
| Dec 16, 2013
Major renovation for historic Northwestern Building in Minneapolis
Minneapolis’s Northwestern Building, originally built in 1914 as a glass factory, is undergoing a major renovation. The 85,000-sf, four-story building is now serves as office space for multiple tenants in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood.
| Dec 9, 2013
Bethlehem, Pa., receives preservation award for Bethlehem Steel building renovation
Bethlehem, Pa., is a recipient of a 2013 award by Preservation Pennsylvania for a renovation of the oldest building on the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. site.
| Dec 3, 2013
Historic Daytona International Speedway undergoing $400 million facelift
The Daytona International Speedway is zooming ahead on the largest renovation in the Florida venue’s 54-year history. Improvements include five redesigned guest entrances, an extended grandstand with 101,000 new seats, and more than 60 new trackside suites for corporate entertaining.
| Dec 2, 2013
Army Corps of Engineers workers displaced during renovation of federal building in Huntington, W. Va.
A $47.6 million overhaul of the Huntington Federal Building in Huntington, West Virginia, includes altered traffic lanes on adjoining streets and the displacement of some of the more than 500 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees who work in the building.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 27, 2013
University reconstruction projects: The 5 keys to success
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the environmental, economic, and market pressures affecting facility planning for universities and colleges, and outlines current approaches to renovations for critical academic spaces.
| Nov 25, 2013
Plans for massive redevelopment of Ft. Monmouth in New Jersey likely to be revised
The redevelopment of Fort Monmouth, a former New Jersey army base, is likely to be revised on a building-by-building and parcel-by-parcel basis, officials say.
