Conservancy Board Enjoys Exclusive Tour of Plaza Hotel Restoration
Stuart N. Siegel, Conservancy Board Chair, left, Suri Kasirer of Kasirer Consulting and Miki Naftali of El-Ad Properties
The tour started with breakfast under the colorfully restored laylight of the Plaza’s Palm Court
Architectural historian, author and teacher Francis Morrone leads Conservancy Board members throughout the landmarked public rooms at the Plaza Hotel.
Conservancy Board recently enjoyed an exclusive breakfast and behind the scenes tour of the landmarked public rooms at the Plaza Hotel—hosted by Miki Naftali of El-Ad Properties and led by architectural historian, author and teacher Francis Morrone. The Plaza is the site of this year’s Living Landmarks Celebration Nov. 3.
The tour started with breakfast under the colorfully restored laylight of the Plaza’s Palm Court. Afterwards Morrone led the group throughout the Terrace Room, Oak Room and Oak Bar. They also saw a stunning new rooftop garden and interior courtyard.
The Plaza opened its doors on October 1, 1907 and was designated a New York City Landmark in 1969. It is listed on the Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Historic Landmark. The massive restoration effort commenced in 2002 and was completed in 2007.
The Terrace Room boasts some of the most impressive historical detailing within the Plaza. Morrone highlighted figural paintings created in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, which adorn the ceiling and date back to 1921. The group learned that the paintings were revealed during the restoration by the polishing off of eighty years of smoke and dirt. Also restored were the original crystal chandeliers made by Charles Winston (brother of jeweler Harry), copies of those that hung in the Palace of Versailles.
The Oak Room was originally designed by Henry Hardenbergh in 1907 as a men’s bar. Morrone explained how it was closed during Prohibition and re-opened in 1934 as a full service restaurant. The Oak Room’s detailed wood-paneled walls and barrel-vaulted ceiling remain today, as do the three carved niches with murals of German feudal castles that fill the arches.
