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Waldorf Astoria Hotel Restored to Former Art-Deco Glory in New Renderings

By Noah Hurowitz | March 29, 2017 3:33pm
 MIDTOWN — Design plans for landmarked areas at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel are up for public review as the hotel’s owner moves forward with renovations that will convert more than a third of its rooms into luxury condominiums. 

 The hotel’s owner, Anbang Insurance Group, submitted designs this week for its planned renovation of the hotel’s exterior and interior landmarks to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, according to a statement.
Waldorf Astoria Renderings
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MIDTOWN — The landmarked areas at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel will be restored to their former art-deco glory as part of a plan to convert part of the building into luxury condos, according to new renderings released for public comment.

 

The hotel’s owner, Anbang Insurance Group, submitted designs this week for its planned renovation of the hotel’s exterior and interior landmarks to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

 

“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,” Roger Duffy, a design partner at the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, which is spearheading the renovations, said in a statement.

 

SEE ALSO: A History of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel

 

Renderings of the publicly accessible interior spaces, which include foyers, entryways, the hotel lobby, and the Peacock Alley restaurant, show the landmarked areas restored to their original 1930s art-deco design, Duffy said.

 

New details include the “Waldorf gray” color of the brick, thinner window frames, and maple wood panels on the lobby walls, according to Curbed.

 

The designs, which must get approval from LPC in order to move forward, come weeks after the hotel closed to undergo a more extensive renovation that will result in 500 hotel rooms being turned into into 321 apartments across 31 floors, and will outfit the building with a new fitness center, retail space and restaurant, according to plans filed last year.

 

The conversion will make the building residential from the 14th floor up, with the floors between the fifth and 14th stories left as hotel rooms, according to the plans, which were first reported by The Real Deal.

 

The decision to landmark the hotel’s interiors came days after it closed on March 1 and had the support of Anbang, which has said it is committed to protecting a valuable piece of New York’s cultural heritage.

 

Anbang, a Chinese insurance conglomerate made up of 39 companies, many with close ties to families within China’s ruling elite, bought the hotel in 2014 for $1.95 billion from former owner Hilton, according to Forbes.

 

The hotel is set to reopen in about three years, according to Hilton, which will continue to operate it under a 100-year lease with Anbang, according to John Vanderslice, global head of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts.

 

“We are at an exciting and transformative point in Waldorf Astoria’s renowned history, during which time Waldorf Astoria New York will be restored to its original grandeur while maintaining a modern and inspirational look and feel,” Vanderslice said in a statement.