The Oak Room and Bar
10 Central Park South
Tel: 212-758-7777
Designer: Selldorf Architects

The Oak Room at the Plaza is a quintessential New York City icon, but after a century or so, it had begun to show its age. No longer: Henry Hardenbergh’s 1907 interiors have been sensitively restored and updated by Selldorf Architects, with the full approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Renowned for her expertise with historic restorations, principal Annabelle Selldorf wanted to make the space vibrant, stylish, and interesting, so she introduced contemporary finishes that include cork flooring, custom-designed furniture, and lighting. “The whole design was not about creating something new, rather more about the evolution of the overall space,” Selldorf explained. She preserved the detailed wood paneling and the barrel-vaulted ceiling; three carved niches with murals of German feudal castles and Central Park by Everett Shinn look better than ever. The Oak Room and Bar retains its sense of history, while gracefully keeping up with the times.