This is what the Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Ballroom is going to look like once it reopens

Although much of New York is still currently shuttered, we can't forget that the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York hotel on Park Avenue has been closed for the better part of four years for a pretty extensive restoration project that will result in 375 new luxury condos and the same number of hotel rooms and suites. Also part of the updates? A completely restored Grand Ballroom, the interior of which has been designated a landmark. 

The Waldorf Astoria New York team just released renderings of what the opulent Grand Ballroom—one of the largest in the city, able to accommodate over 1,000 people at once—will look like once it re-opens in 2023. 

You'll notice that the 15,000-square-foot-space currently being restored by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill will look slightly different in a couple of years. For example, the central chandelier is being replaced with a central ceiling medallion that was part of the original design of the room and crimson curtains draping over the main stage and the balcony seat section will also be added. The re-imagined design calls out to 1931, the year the hotel first opened.

The idea is to truly restore the heritage of the ballroom space to its original glory, which is why, according to an official press release, the development team is working with the local Landmarks Preservation Commission when executing plans.

We can't blame the hotel for wanting to dive back into its glorious past. After all, the Grand Ballroom has hosted the likes of Grace Kelly and Queen Elizabeth II. It's also where former President John F. Kennedy once held his birthday gala and where the 1988 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place (that's the year Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger performed). 

We can't wait to see what fabulous events will take place inside this quintessentially New York room once it opens to the public once more.

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