New York City's Iconic Rainbow Room Atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza Set To Reopen In Fall 2014

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Sep 17, 2013, 01:32 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rainbow Room, the historic New York City landmark and iconic restaurant and event space atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Rockefeller Center^®, will reopen to the public in the fall of 2014, it was announced today.

The Rainbow Room originally opened during the Great Depression in 1934. From its site on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, it offered stunning views, elegant decor and a glamorous setting for special occasions, celebrations and spectacular dining.

The team from Tishman Speyer which operates Rockefeller Center – including such destination attractions and event spaces as Top of The Rock Observation Deck, the 620 Loft and Garden event space at 620 Fifth Avenue and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree month-long celebration – will oversee the Rainbow Room and work with the leading talents in the restaurant and hospitality industries to run the day-to-day operations.

Blau + Associates, one of the foremost restaurant development companies in the field, has been engaged to oversee the reopening process, from the culinary programming to the operations strategy, for the space. Led by founder Elizabeth Blau, the company's extensive work in the hospitality industry includes developing premiere food and beverage concepts for celebrated destinations such as Steve Wynn's Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas, Ritz Carlton Hotels, One and Only Palmilla and Celebrity Cruises, as well as Blau's own restaurants including Honey Salt and Simon Palms Place, among many others.

"The Rainbow Room space has occupied the collective imagination and memories of generations of Americans and New Yorkers," said Keith Douglas, Managing Director, Rockefeller Center. "We are pleased to reopen it, and we are committed to operating a Rainbow Room that will offer top levels of dining service and catering for today's visitors while preserving the elegance for which it is so well known."

"We are honored to be part of the team that will bring back this legendary New York culinary landmark," said Elizabeth Blau, who will conduct the search for both the executive chef and the general manager for the Rainbow Room. "The Rainbow Room will once again be one of the world's top destinations."

The Rainbow Room itself will be operated as a combination of catered event space as well as a restaurant that is open to the public. In addition, a previously unused outdoor terrace on the 65th floor will be combined with a connecting interior space and transformed into a bar and lounge that will be open to public each day five or more days each week, serving cocktails and light fare.

The Rainbow Room itself will be available for private events and group dining five days a week and will offer an array of catering menu options. The famed room, now landmarked, will be operated as a restaurant for Sunday brunch each week as well as for dinner a minimum of one night a week, with the final schedule to be determined once the executive chef and general manager are on board.

The Rainbow Room will also be open to the public for restaurant dining on special occasions such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and Thanksgiving. Building off the tradition of Rainbow & Stars, occasional live entertainment will return to the Rainbow Room as well as part of the program. Finally, the executive club on the western end of the 65th floor will be reintroduced, serving weekday breakfast and lunch.

Further details of the comprehensive plan to reopen the Rainbow Room, including the selection of an executive chef, will be announced in the coming months.

Gabellini Sheppard Architects, the architects who reimagined Rockefeller Center's observation deck,
Top of the Rock, will design the Rainbow Room's public spaces. The Rainbow Room interior, including its legendary dance floor overlooking the Manhattan skyline, was recently landmarked by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The firm, led by Michael Gabellini and Kimberly Sheppard, has gained international acclaim for its signature design aesthetic, complementing historic architecture with contemporary design.

"We are very excited to be part of a project that will start a new chapter in the life of a classic
New York icon," said Michael Gabellini. "The design will connect past with present, and once again bring glamour and elegance to the Rainbow Room, while surrounding guests with the spectacular
vistas of New York City."

ABOUT ROCKEFELLER CENTER

Rockefeller Center is the world-famous real estate, shopping and dining complex in the heart of midtown Manhattan. Rockefeller Center is the site of numerous public exhibits and events, including large-scale installations of public art by world-renowned artists including Takashi Murakami, Jeff Koons and Jonathan Borofsky.

Protecting, maintaining and enhancing cherished landmark properties are an integral part of Tishman Speyer's mission. As the custodian of Rockefeller Center, the company maintains the Center's historic presence, including restoring and re-gilding the Prometheus statue, the 1930's Paul Manship masterpiece that overlooks the Center's skating rink – said to be one of the most recognizable statues in the United States; restoring the famous Atlas sculpture, cast in bronze by Lee Lawrie in 1937; renovating and reopening The Top of the Rock Observation Deck in 2005 after a 20-year closure; and restoring the original murals by Jose Maria Sert and Frank Brangwyn that adorn the interior of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Each day an estimated 350,000 people visit the Rockefeller Center complex, which during the holidays is home to the most famous Christmas tree in the world. For more information, visit www.rockefellercenter.com or www.rainbowroom.com

SOURCE Tishman Speyer