SOM carries out "complete transformation" of New York's iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel

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https://www.dezeen.com/2025/09/12/som-waldorf-astoria-hotel-restoration-new-york/





Global architecture firm SOM has completed the restoration of the art deco Waldorf Astoria hotel in Midtown Manhattan in an attempt to "bridge the gap between the past and future". The Waldorf Astoria New York reopened earlier this year following eight years of preservation and restoration work on its landmarked 1931 building, which was designed by Schultze & Weaver in the art deco style.





Work involved reorganising and updating the public areas – undoing some of the changes made in the 1960s – and transforming the 1,400-key hotel into a mixed-use destination. Now, 375 hotel rooms occupy floors seven to 15 of the 625-foot-tall (190 metres) building, while floors 19 and up accommodate 372 private residences.





SOM's all-encompassing makeover of the 1.6 million-square-foot building involved returning to the original blueprints and faithfully restoring details that had been gradually altered over the years. "We delved into the records of the hotel and the archives of The Wolfsonian, which holds thousands of documents produced by Schultze & Weaver at Florida International University," said SOM.





"These records included the full specification book, original drawings, renderings, and early photographs – offering a clear view into the building's evolution." On the exterior, the facade's limestone podium and Waldorf Grey brickwork above were cleaned and repaired to look brand new, and mechanical systems that had been added over the years, cluttering the facade, were hidden.

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