Through preservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse, SOM renewed this New York City icon—recapturing its original splendor inside and out, revitalizing its public spaces, and reimagining its upper floors into both a five-star hotel and luxury residences.

 

Dave Burk © SOM

September marked the official reopening of some of New York City’s most storied public spaces. After a comprehensive transformation led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Daija U.S., and Strategic Hotels & Resorts, the Waldorf Astoria is set to welcome visitors back to the entirety of its historic, landmarked interior, including the Grand Ballroom, the Silver Corridor, and the Jade, Astor, and Basildon Rooms. The milestone follows the reopening of the first-floor public spaces on July 15, completing the restoration of 62,000 square feet of interior landmarked space for public use.

Long known as the city’s “unofficial palace,” the Waldorf Astoria, originally designed by Schultze & Weaver, has been a centerpiece of New York culture since it first opened in 1931. The building closed for an extensive transformation in 2017, and now the Waldorf Astoria has been converted from a 1,400-room hotel into a 372-unit luxury residence and 375-key, five-star hotel. For the remainder of the Waldorf Astoria’s space—its ornate lobbies, corridors, ballroom, and other event venues—SOM has reclaimed its historic character and purpose.
 

Dave Burk © SOM

“Few buildings have a legacy like the Waldorf Astoria, and for a full-scale renovation like this, upholding that legacy is an incredible responsibility,” said SOM Partner Kenneth A. Lewis. “We had to dive deep into the building’s past. Every room and detail has its own story, and our goal was to return to and pay our deepest respect to the building’s origins. These public spaces now look as spectacular as they did 94 years ago.”

 

The research process brought SOM to the archives of the Waldorf Astoria and The Wolfsonian, which holds Schultze & Weaver’s full records, and to the historic building itself. Working with a huge team of historic preservation experts, SOM evaluated the building’s condition through forensic investigation, from original details to alterations over the decades.

 

“The result of all this research is a methodical work of preservation, a meticulous restoration, and a comprehensive transformation all at once,” said SOM Principal Frank Mahan. “Every single inch of this building has been carefully and thoughtfully renovated. We’ve reestablished Schultze & Weaver’s original design intent throughout the landmarked interior, while upgrading the building to contemporary standards.”
 

The first public spaces to open were the Waldorf’s enfilade lobbies and lounges: a series of street-level foyers, grand staircases, and rooms and corridors that expand and contract in an alternating rhythm. Retail, a new reception area, and a restaurant had closed large portions of these spaces, and renovations to the materials and lighting vastly changed their Jazz Age aesthetic. Now, all those spaces have returned to their original look and feel—from the Park Avenue Foyer to Peacock Alley, the central lobby, the East Arcade, and the Lexington Avenue Foyer.
 

The newly opened spaces, on the third floor, are a series of distinctive event venues. At its center is the triple-height, 1,500-seat Grand Ballroom. Fifty years after its Art Deco design was transformed to a French garden style, SOM, using an original drawing, completed Schultze & Weaver’s vision and restored the entire ballroom to its 1931 aesthetic. SOM also solved the room’s longstanding acoustical issue, structurally isolating it from the rest of the building by creating new separation joints and inserting base isolation pads below.
 

Dave Burk © SOM

Across the whole floor, the Jade, Astor, and Basildon Rooms were all restored and enhanced with LED lighting and new digital conference technology. For the Basildon Room, the Waldorf’s most colorful space, the restoration team peeled back layers of mostly brown paint to discover a revelation of reds, greens, and silvers that once again distinguish the room.

 

All these spaces are stitched together by the Silver Corridor—a gallery of mirrors, gray harewood, crystal chandeliers, and murals salvaged from the original 1893 Waldorf Astoria hotel. Over the decades, varnish and cigarette and cigar smoke discolored the murals, and the gray paneling was changed to a dark brown wood. ArtCare Conservation meticulously removed years of dirt and grime, and SOM replaced the brown veneer with new harewood, helping the Silver Corridor once again live up to its chromatic moniker.

On levels seven through 15, the guestrooms—reconfigured by SOM and designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon—are now more than doubled in size, and include a landscaped terrace on a previously empty setback alongside a full suite of amenities. Above, SOM worked within the nearly century-old arrangement of columns, beams, moldings, and punched windows to create 125 unique layouts among the 372 new residential units—a remarkably high ratio, even for a tall building. The structure, which once divided guestrooms, now distinguishes one living space from the next. With interiors designed by Jean-Louis Deniot, the luxury condominiums blend an Art Deco aesthetic with a contemporary sensibility.
 

Dave Burk © SOM

Outside, more than 20 setbacks, many of which were filled with mechanical equipment, are now both communal and residential terraces. The building’s last original window, on the 16th floor, became the basis for a full restoration. Artisans replicated the Waldorf’s terracotta, aluminum, and cast stone spandrels, and its limestone and gray brick facade have been cleaned and refurbished—making the exterior look as bright as it did in 1931.

 

Release  Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago, Illinois, USA