The Plaza

 hotel, high-rise, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, interesting place, movie / film / TV location, historic landmark, 1907_construction, Beaux-Arts (architecture), French Renaissance (architecture)

768 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
(212) 759-3000
www.fairmont.com/ThePlaza

252-foot, 19-story French Renaissance château-style hotel completed in 1907 for the Plaza Operating Company (Bernhard Beinecke and Harry S. Black). Designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh with decoration by Frederic Sterry, it opened to the public in October 1907 with Alfred G. Vanderbilt signing in as the first registered guest. Its construction cost was $12,500,000. An addition, designed by Warren & Wetmore, was built along 58th Street in 1921. Its Grand Ballroom was designed by Schultze & Weaver with murals by John B. Smeraldi after prior iterations by other architects. The Terrace Room had been opened as a restaurant in 1921 but was converted into a ballroom. The Plaza originally had over 800 rooms and was the second hotel with that name on the site. Its current main entrance faces the Grand Army Plaza in the 1921 addition.

The facades are clad in white brick above a 3-story white marble base, rusticated at the lower two floors. The entrance portico of the Fifth Avenue facade faces Grand Army Plaza and extends the width of the center portion, composed of six columns in a modified version of the Tuscan order, topped by an entablature with a shield above each column, a cornice above a dentil course and an egg-and-dart course, and surmounted by a balustraded balcony from which project five flagpoles. The outer two of the portico's five bays have double-height round-arched windows on the main facade, with black metal framing and panels at the base, decorated with gilded ornament. In front of both is a gilded lamp-post with five light globes, fronted by a low marble wall (from which the columns rise) with a bronze planter box between the columns. The middle three bays are have long, low stairways with black carpeting, fronted by a black-and-white marble checkerboard pattern on the sidewalk extending out to the curb. Each of these three bays has a set of bronze-and-glass double-doors between black-and-gold side panels and below elaborately decorated spandrel panels in black and gold that separate upper window panes from the doors below. Glass-and-metal panels enclose the portico on both sides (separating the two outer bays), and a projecting, suspended canopy extends in front of the three entry bays, composed of black metal, frosted glass circles, and gilded leafy fronds encircling each circle. Above the canopy, the middle three bays are have stained-glass panels spanning between the tops of the columns. The outer sections of the east facade have five bays, with a secondary entrance at the inner one (below windows), and double-height windows in the outer four, separated by rusticated piers. The north secondary entrance is at sidewalk level, while the southern one is set atop a set of steps, and has copper louvers above it instead of glass. The outer sections at the 2nd & 3rd floors have five bays of windows in marble surrounds, shorter at each floor. Below the inner four at the 3rd floor are projecting marble balconies with balusters. The middle section at the 2nd & 3rd floors is recessed between the outer sections, and also has five window bays with round-arched windows with scrolled keystones on the 3rd floor. Each of these bays is framed by a pair of marble pilasters ornamented with medallions near the bases of the 3rd-floor windows and Corinthian capitals at the tops. The spandrel panels between these two floors have simple diamond shapes. The entire 3rd floor is capped by a dentiled band course.

The brick upper floors continue the recessed middle section, with three bays of paired windows, and a bay of single-windows in between each of them; they have beveled stone surrounds. There are very narrow windows in the short sidewall areas of the outer sections. Both outer sections have four bays of single-windows, with the same surrounds, and rounded end bays that form corner turrets extending up uninterrupted for 14 floors through the shaft and roof crown, terminated by small domed roofs. These turrets have three small windows at each floor wrapping around the corners. At the 12th floor there are projecting stone balconies at the four windows of each outer section and a row of elaborate garlands running above all of the 12th-floor windows on this facade (excepting the corner turrets). There are paneled piers at the 13th floor, with large stone shields framing the ends of the outer sections, and a projecting stone balcony topping the entire 13th floor, with a row of elaborate console brackets at the outer sections and fewer, smaller brackets at the middle section; the top side of the balcony has elaborate stone scrollwork.

The five bays of the middle section return to the pattern of single-windows in each bay, and are recessed in double-height openings at the 14th-15th floors, round-arched at the tops. A green copper band course tops the 15th floor, with another at the outer sections of the 16th floor, with copper surrounds at the windows of the middle section, forming the base of the crown. The grey-green mansard roof rises steeply and displays two tiers of picturesque dormer windows, varying in size and design, while the outer sections are dominated by a pair of large gables, each with three windows at the 16th floor and a single window at the 17th floor with a round, projecting copper balconette. There are finials at the edges of the gables at this level, and both gables are crowned by a central finial. Slender finials also ornament the domes capping the rounded corner turrets, framing the lower parts of the gables, and they are crowned by small copper fleur-de-lys. The 18th floor has a band of skylight windows angling back to another band of floor-to-ceiling windows at the top floor, with a short metal roof, between the end sections of the steep mansard, where the roof is topped by an elaborately patterned cresting of green copper.

The north facade on Central Park West has its main entrance is through an entrance porch in the center portion, which is very slightly recessed. It consists of three bays, with the middle one filled in by a wall with a large tripartite window with bronze framing. The other two bays have red-carpeted stairs leading up and back to recessed entries with bronze-and-glass double-doors below transoms. A black cast-iron canopy with bronze ornament is supported by cast-iron support brackets on each pier, rising from stone plinths at the base. It was fabricated by the Winslow Bros. Company. The banded piers to which they are attached carry an entablature similar to the one on the east facade. The end bays of the middle section again have secondary entrances with bronze-and-glass double-doors below rounded, black cast-iron canopies; the eastern one accesses the Plaza Food Hall. The eastern outer section has five bays matching those of the east facade at the three floors of the base. The western outer section has a narrower bay closest to the middle section, followed by another secondary entrance (also with an iron canopy) that accesses The Oak Room restaurant. There are then four more windows bays, the last one smaller. At the 2nd-3rd floors, the first three of these have double-height tripartite window openings that are round-arched at the 3rd floor and have stone balconies at the 2nd. They have black metal spandrels between the floors and green metal framing; the rusticated piers are capped by ornately carved bands here at the base of the 3rd floor. The 2nd floor has a smaller window on either side, framed by elaborately decorated stone pilasters and topped by medallions and other ornament. There is no window at the western end bay of the 3rd floor.

The middle section has five bays of paired windows at the upper floors, and the base is capped by the same band course seen on the east facade, with a rounded turret at the northeast corner. On the upper floors, two of the bays in the eastern section, and the first bay in the western section have very small windows paired with the main windows at the 5th-12th floors. At the 12th-13th floors the middle section has five bays of tripartite windows in recessed double-height openings with round-arches at the tops. Otherwise, the ornament and trim at the upper floors below the crown is similar to the east facade. A balcony with scrollwork extends the full width of the building on this side. The mansard begins one floor lower in the middle, where there are six bays of single-windows with copper surrounds, alternating with smaller windows topped by small, black iron domes. Above are three tiers of small dormers of mixed sizes, while the end sections of the mansard are punctuated by a pair of high pyramidal roofs with imposing dormers flanked by smaller ones on each side. Finials decorate the larger dormers. Like the east facade, the top two floors between the corner mansard sections have two tiers of glass bands, with angled skylights on the lower section.

The south facade on 58th Street has a more obvious delineation between the original structure and the eastern expansion, which is lighter in color. The east section continues the 3-story marble base with a double-height ground floor, while the longer western section has only a 2-story stone base, equivalent in height to the ground floor of the east section. The east section is eight bays wide, with the eastern five projecting out slightly. The 2nd bay from the west has the main south entrance, with recessed bronze-and-glass double-doors atop stone steps, covered by a rounded, black cast-iron canopy. The other bays have large windows, except metal louvers replace them in the two bays to the right of the entrance. The inner halves of the piers framing the entrance project slightly more and are topped by elaborate capitals supporting a short entablature and cornice. On the upper floors, the bay above the entrance has paired windows, while the others have single-windows. The trim and ornament is similar to the east facade, with the balcony at the 14th floor only extending halfway over.

The west section has two widely-spaced window bays, followed by three entry bays to The Shops at The Plaza, each set in a rope molding. The middle one has a bronze-and-glass revolving door, and the other two have bronze-and-glass double-doors, all under a large, suspended, black cast-iron marquee with cresting along the top. Continuing west is a small bay with a black metal service door, and then at the west end is a shorter, wide storefront framed in bronze, with glass doors at both ends and show-windows in the middle, followed by two loading docks with roll-down metal gates. The 2nd floor has four single-windows at the west end, two more above the eastern bays, and three round-arched windows above the entrance bays, each in a stone molding with a scrolled keystone. A stone band course caps the base, with a stone balcony at the three entry bays, supported by four console brackets and having an intricate front wall of carved shields, putti, dragons, and unrs, with diamonds shapes at the four posts. The 3rd floor has three large single-windows here in stone surrounds with triangular pediments; there is one single-window at the east end of this section, and four at the west end. The upper floors, set off by a smaller band course, have 11 bays of paired windows. The band courses, garlands, and some other decorative elements continue across the facade on the top floors below the crown, where the mansard is punctuated by a number of gables and dormers; the top of the mansard continues straight across.

The rear, west facade is without ornament, and encloses a central light court. The north wing has several bays of single-windows, and the south wing has two main bays of single-windows, with three smaller, square windows in between.

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived the high life here in 1922. Frank Lloyd Wright rented suite 223 here from 1953 until his death in 1959; it was here that he designed the Guggenheim Museum. The Beatles stayed here on their first visit to America in February 1964. Truman Capote's Black and White Ball was held here on November 28, 1966. From 1988 until 1995 it was owned by Donald Trump. Following Trump's financial woes, auctioneers affiliated with Kaminski Auctions sold the original furniture.

It underwent an extensive renovation between April 2005 and March 2008. The renovation involved gutting the hotel and building entirely new units, as well as reconfiguring the original main check-in desk to create a private entrance for its permanent residents. The Plaza has 282 ultra-luxury hotel rooms and 152 condo-hotel units (for a total of 434 units). It also has a fitness centre, a spa, a salon, 3 restaurants, 2 bars, a Grand Ballroom, the Terrace Room, and 7 meeting rooms.

The Plaza was accorded landmark status by New York City's Landmark Commission on December 9, 1969. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1978 and was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 24, 1986. It also contains several designated interior landmark spaces on the lower floors.

Also an icon of film and media The Plaza was the setting of Kay Thomson's series of "Eloise" books, all about a little girl who lived at the hotel. Among dozens of appearances on film, none is more beloved than the classic film "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" where Kevin McCallister checks in to the hotel with his father's credit card. The hotel is where much of the film is set and, in a now-famous scene, then owner Donald Trump makes a cameo appearance in the film.

It is now owned by Katara Hospitality with management by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0265.pdf
s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2174.pdf
archive.org/details/plazaharr00harr/mode/2up
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