WRITTEN BY: Jessica Busch
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

Even right in the middle of a complex multi-year renovation project, Cumming Corporation’s New York based project management team knows one thing: when it comes to the color of the new bricks, they must remain that iconic “Waldorf Gray,” just like the originals.

Cumming was brought onboard to oversee the Waldorf Astoria New York’s complete revitalization, whereby the historic New York City landmark is being thoughtfully restored during a multi-phased development.

Anbang Insurance Group, the Waldorf’s owner, selected Cumming to help ensure that the hotel’s one-of-a-kind glamour will be reintroduced to a modern generation of guests and residents from around the world. With the initial pre-construction and demolition finally completed, AECOM Tishman, is beginning the extensive interior renovations and reconstruction.

The Waldorf Astoria New York will feature approximately 350 luxurious hotel rooms and suites, and approximately 350 branded and hotel-serviced condominium residences. The interiors of the 1.65 million square foot historic hotel require tremendous attention to detail and quality.

Work includes an authentic restoration of the paneled main lobby with its signature clock, the dramatic mosaic-tiled Park Avenue Lobby, the opulent multi-level Grand Ballroom, and many other historic landmark spaces and features.

The residences at the Waldorf will be among the world’s greatest and most desirable private residential destinations, instantly recognizable and providing a modern level of service and glamour not found anywhere else.

As for the exterior, the renovation will replace the more than 5,300 existing windows with those featuring thinner frames to replicate the original design.

The renovations will also create separate residential and hotel porte cocheres, introduce parking below grade, and faithfully clean and restore the landmark façade with authentic materials and treatments.

Ensuring the historic building remains true to its past while embracing its future, the architectural team at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has reviewed decades of rich architectural archives in preparation for the major renovation and will continue to collaborate with the project teams through completion in 2021.