I am catching up to the news that the city granted interior landmark status to the Red Room at One Wall last June (more on that below — but it will be accessible for the first time in 24 years thanks to the department store Printemps) but my first thought was: are there others? And the answer: lots!
The map above shows all landmarks; the blue dots are for interiors. (One of these days I will make an interactive walking tour.) They include (from north to south):
So the Red Room is just nuts. Originally a reception room and banking hall for the Irving Trust and Bank Company, the elaborately tiled space was completed in 1931 by architect Ralph Walker and muralist Hildreth Meière. The interior walls mimic the curved stone facades of 1 Wall Street, one of the earliest Art Deco skyscrapers in New York City and itself a designated individual landmark. The 13,000 square feet of glass mosaic tiles fade from red to orange up the triple-height walls and across the ceiling, and gilded tiles create web-like designs that glitter on the red background and draw the eye up.
“After the 1929 collapse of the financial markets, it became critically important for the Irving Trust Company to project an image of permanence and intact wealth, and the Gilded Age opulence of 1 Wall Street’s Banking Room was intended to deliver that message, serving as an impressive and inviting reception area for Irving Trust Company’s clients,” Landmarks said in its press release.
The Parisian retailer Printemps now has the lease on the space, and did a major restoration of it as well. It will house the department store’s “whimsical shoe forest.”
When Printemps opens to the public later this month, it will be the first time folks can view the room since its closure in 2001.
“The Red Room is a testament to the rich architectural and cultural heritage of New York City, and we are honored to bring it back to life for the public to enjoy,” said Laura Lendrum, CEO of Printemps America, when Landmarks approved the application. “Hildreth Meière was a master muralist who was a trailblazer for women in the fields of architecture and design, and Printemps has proudly championed women for over 100 years, making this collaboration especially meaningful.”
Looks stunning. Can’t wait to visit this interior.
I saw this amazing space before it closed. It is spectacular. So glad it is going to be available to be seen again.