The nearly $2 billion reconstruction and renovation of the Waldorf Astoria New York is moving into its second stage of construction.
The iconic hotel, which opened at its current site in 1931, has been closed since February 2017, and is scheduled to reopen in 2021 (one year later than previously announced). With the interior demolition mostly completed, contractor AECOM Tishman has signed a new contract with Anbang Insurance Group, the property’s owner, to begin construction of 350 condominiums and 350 new hotel rooms and suites.
This project, which continues to operate under the Hilton brand, significantly reduces the number of hotel rooms available from its 1,413 guest rooms before the renovation began. However, the size of entry-level rooms after the renovation is completed will average 650 sf. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is the project’s Architect, and Pierre Yves Rochon is designing the interiors and guest rooms.
Prior to the start of this reconstruction, several of the hotel’s more famous spaces were granted landmark status by New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, including its West Lounge (better known as Peacock Alley), its Grand Ballroom, and its lobby from Park Avenue that includes 13 murals and a floor mosaic designed by French artist Louis Rigal.
Also included will be the restoration of the hotel’s nine-ft-tall clock, which has stood in the Waldorf’s lobby for decades.
“Anbang has imagined something truly spectacular for this global icon, and we look forward to delivering [its] vision,” says Jay Badame, President of AECOM’s Building Construction Business. All of the landmark spaces will remain open once the reconstruction is completed and the building is reopened.
The Waldorf Astoria is losing around 1,000 guest rooms as a result of its reconstruction and renovation, but the 350 that remain will average 650 sf. Image: (c) SOM | Rendering by Methanoia Inc.
China-based Anbang acquired the Waldorf from the Hilton chain in 2014 for just under $2 billion. Hilton continues to manage the property under a 100-year agreement.
A spokesperson for Anbang tells BD+C that the second construction and renovation phase will involve several core and shell elements, including the installation of new elevators, fireproofing, major MEP equipment, and a new HVAC system. During this phase the building’s exterior façade will be restored, and new windows and roof installed.
However, the future ownership of the Waldorf remains uncertain. Last winter, the Chinese government took over Anbang and jailed its largest shareholder, Wu Xiaohui, on fraud charges. The Wall Street Journal reports that Anbang is under pressure to raise cash and has put up for sale its $5.5 billion luxury hotel portfolio in the U.S., albeit excluding the Waldorf Astoria.
Related Stories
| Feb 15, 2011
Iconic TWA terminal may reopen as a boutique hotel
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hopes to squeeze a hotel with about 150 rooms in the space between the old TWA terminal and the new JetBlue building. The old TWA terminal would serve as an entry to the hotel and hotel lobby, which would also contain restaurants and shops.
| Feb 11, 2011
Kentucky’s first green adaptive reuse project earns Platinum
(FER) studio, Inglewood, Calif., converted a 115-year-old former dry goods store in Louisville, Ky., into a 10,175-sf mixed-use commercial building earned LEED Platinum and holds the distinction of being the state’s first adaptive reuse project to earn any LEED rating. The facility, located in the East Market District, houses a gallery, event space, offices, conference space, and a restaurant. Sustainable elements that helped the building reach its top LEED rating include xeriscaping, a green roof, rainwater collection and reuse, 12 geothermal wells, 81 solar panels, a 1,100-gallon ice storage system (off-grid energy efficiency is 68%) and the reuse and recycling of construction materials. Local firm Peters Construction served as GC.
| Feb 11, 2011
Former Richardson Romanesque hotel now houses books, not beds
The Piqua (Ohio) Public Library was once a late 19th-century hotel that sat vacant and deteriorating for years before a $12.3 million adaptive reuse project revitalized the 1891 building. The design team of PSA-Dewberry, MKC Associates, and historic preservation specialist Jeff Wray Associates collaborated on the restoration of the 80,000-sf Richardson Romanesque building, once known as the Fort Piqua Hotel. The team restored a mezzanine above the lobby and repaired historic windows, skylight, massive fireplace, and other historic details. The basement, with its low ceiling and stacked stone walls, was turned into a castle-like children’s center. The Piqua Historical Museum is also located within the building.
| Jan 21, 2011
Manufacturing plant transformed into LEED Platinum Clif Bar headquarters
Clif Bar & Co.’s new 115,000-sf headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., is one of the first buildings in the state to meet the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The structure has the largest smart solar array in North America, which will provide nearly all of its electrical energy needs.
| Jan 21, 2011
Revamped hotel-turned-condominium building holds on to historic style
The historic 89,000-sf Hotel Stowell in Los Angeles was reincarnated as the El Dorado, a 65-unit loft condominium building with retail and restaurant space. Rockefeller Partners Architects, El Segundo, Calif., aimed to preserve the building’s Gothic-Art Nouveau combination style while updating it for modern living.
| Jan 21, 2011
Music festival’s new home showcases scenic setting
Epstein Joslin Architects, Cambridge, Mass., designed the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Mass., to showcase the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, as well at the site’s ocean views.
