Marilyn Monroe slept here, the famous composer Cole Porter played music, and Paris Hilton spent her childhood in these halls. We’re talking about the iconic Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue, symbol of New York, built in 1931 when it was the tallest, biggest hotel in the world. Now, for the first time, it is possible to buy a home in the towers of the Waldorf Astoria: 375 luxury residences, with prices starting at 1.8 million dollars, slated for initial occupancy in 2023.
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A luxury condo that resembles a hotel in a hotel: amenities, staff, 24-hour concierge services, a dramatic 25-meter swimming pool overlooking Park Avenue, a fitness center, a spa with sauna, Turkish bath, showers and treatment rooms, entertainment facilities like the Grand Salon, an area for tasting wines, a library, a playroom for kids, a billiard room, theater, and private spaces for working or co-working. Residents will also benefit from the services of the hotel itself, including cleaning and room service for meals.
This landmark is being transformed by the developer Dajia Insurance Group, the architects of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and the interior designers Jean Louis-Deniot and Pierre-Yves Rochon. This update will make it possible for the first time to own a home at one of the world’s most famous addresses, enjoying its Art Deco style reinterpreted in a contemporary way, combining sophisticated neoclassical references, outstanding comfort and a French spirit of customization, for a modern experience inside a monumental historical building.
“The Waldorf Astoria will still have a sumptuous aura,” says Jean-Louis Deniot. “The interiors will reflect the magnificence of the past, mixed with a great sense of today’s energy. They will be grand and playful, very inviting, with lots of surprises.”
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The apartments are the result of careful restoration of the interiors, including the parts of the hotel, such as the famous statue of the Spirit of Achievement that adorned the entrance on Park Avenue, the World’s Fair Clock and the Steinway grand piano of Cole Porter, from 1907. Fine details include the massive internal doors with personalized panels in antique bronze, the custom cabinets by Molteni&C, the artworks selected by the curator Simon de Pury, the surfaces in shiny marble, and the mosaics with references to French Art Deco.
“We began this project with an approach of great respect for the heritage of the building, and with detailed research on its history, including all the modifications that have been made over the years,” says Frank Mahan, associate director of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. “We are not only restoring the architecture to its original splendor, but also adapting it and making it relevant for future generations.”
