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The Rainbow Room / Sixty Five - RCPI Landmark Properties commissioned Gabellini Sheppard Associates to open a new chapter for the Rainbow Room and the 65th floor (8,850 SF in total), blending contemporary needs while celebrating the embedded memory of the NY landmark interior space. With its magnificent panorama from the top of this iconic building, the 65th floor was conceived as the primary public amenity floor reminiscent of a 1930’s luxury liner docked at port. The grand Rainbow Room arrayed at the ‘prow’ of the ship, with Bar SixtyFive commanding the western ‘stern’. The vision was to rejuvenate the once preeminent event space into a convertible venue suitable for hosting high caliber banquet and restaurant functions. Extensive archival research distinguished the design restoration and reimagination from the outset. This project is particularly unique in that it is a project of both landmark preservation and ecological stewardship, achieving silver LEED status.
A fundamental element to those who had experienced the original Rainbow Room was the iconic rotating dance floor in the epicenter of the room. For this memory to endure with future generations, the floor was restructured to include new framing, acoustics and rotation motor underneath the new wood floor. Directly above the reengineered dance floor is the iconic dome ceiling, which was restored and finished in a white gold leaf. Additional lighting was added within the cavity of the dome to further accentuate the crystalline character of the chandelier and illumination of the dance floor. The chandelier in the center dome, sconces and glass globe posts were restored to their original glory by replacing damaged crystals. Custom furnishings were introduced along with a refined material palette of hand-rubbed antique bronze, hardwoods, and pewter satin mirrors which together produce a stream-lined elegance. Crystal window veils were installed at each window opening, providing a prismatic rainbow effect throughout the day and shimmering reflections in the evening. As the crystals create a rainbow prism effect from the sun’s illumination through the window, a solar shade and layered with Mylar film serve to eliminate the prism effect if need be, giving the room alternate mood options and visual flexibility. Mirrors in a smoky grey finish were selected to complement and augment the space and its views of the New York City skyline. Hidden from sight but equally important, state-of-the- art building systems and contemporary technologies were sensitively integrated throughout the room. New lighting, air-conditioning, heating and audio-visual equipment were discreetly constructed into the piers and intricately layered into the ceiling. Bar Sixty Five on the Western Side of the Floor underwent a redesign in the late 1980’s resulted in a complete alteration to the exterior of the building and renovations to the interior volume at the south end. The initial full-height doors and windows that extended up to the room’s ceiling were removed and a low horizontal window was constructed across each elevation. By removing limestone masonry, the 1987 design exposed the original structural columns on the surface of the new glazed opening. In the redesign of the 2,700 SF space, the height of the existing window apertures were raised to enhance the dimensions of the overall
‘viewing portal’. This modification reintroduced the verticality of the building’s historical language and returns the Pavilion’s predisposition as it was conceived, to a majestically oriented room with a view.
The design of SixtyFive represents a dramatic departure from the Rainbow Room, but still breathes the iconic Art Deco spirit of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. A faceted ceiling made of glass reinforced gypsum panels was installed in the center of the lounge space creating a heightened sense of openness, reminiscent of the room’s history as an open air sun parlor in 1934. Lights were scattered along the perimeter ceiling, imitating the look of stars while speakers were seamlessly integrated into the pattern of the perimeter ceiling adding to the faceted character while concealing AV elements. Faceted mother of pearl tabletops parallel the faceted ceiling made of smooth gypsum panels. High-honed, Italian silver travertine piers line the perimeter of the space, while the window facia’s are composed in an artisanal gesso relief in white gold glaze. Signature structural clear glass parapets previously developed for The Top of the Rock Observation Deck were included in the design of the terrace, creating a cohesive exterior building design to 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Gabellini Sheppard Associates is a multi-disciplinary architectural and interior design firm based in New York City. The 35-person studio has gained international acclaim for its signature design aesthetic in which space and light are used as sculptural materials. The firm embraces a wide range of scales and typologies: from urban and commercial master plans to private residences, fashion boutiques, hotels, restaurants, contemporary art galleries, and urban spaces. The design approach is defined by a specific set of criteria: the unique needs of the individual client and context; the development of a seamless and sophisticated background for the programmatic requirements; and creating an aesthetically pristine environment. The firm’s signature vocabulary is identified by essential reductivism, attention to detail, and sensitivity to the intrinsic properties of building materials and location.
Beyond the architectural design of a space, the client’s vision is shaped through strategic branding and an integrated approach. The mix of commerce, culture and design translate the experiential into commercial value. Through an expansive network, creative and technical expertise, the studio provides a highly enhanced design and implementation process for its clients.
Gabellini Sheppard Associates has designed luxury retail environments in Europe, Asia, and North America, ranging from 30 square mile shop-in-shops to 20,000sm retail centers. Clients include iconic brands: such as Giorgio Armani, Jil Sander, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vera Wang, JBrand, La Perla, David Yurman and Gianfranco Ferré. Large retail center commissions include Armani Center (Milan), Davide Cenci (Rome/Milan), The Village at Westfield (London), the Village at Westfield (Milan), the Ambani International Convention Center (Mumbai), the World Trade Center Temporary Plaza and Mall of America (US). With extensive experience and capability designing, managing and implementing projects abroad, we provide an enhanced level of service to each project, from conception, to development, to implementation.
Residential and hospitality design has been central to the practice since its inception, from individual homes to condominium and hotel projects, such as the Istanbul Edition hotel in Turkey, the Milford NYC Hotel, and the Knickerbocker Hotel. In addition to numerous townhouse and loft renovations throughout Manhattan, the firm has designed homes in London, Rome, Denver, Miami, Michigan, Seoul and Riyad. Michael Gabellini’s expertise and passion for contemporary art has led to exhibition design and facilitation projects with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Florence Art and Fashion Biennale, Swarovski Crystal Palace, and the Smithsonian Institution Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum. The firm has also designed gallery spaces in New York for the Anthony Grant Fine Art gallery and the Marian Goodman Gallery, among others.
For the past two decades, Gabellini Sheppard Associates has been passionate about breathing new life into iconic landmark structures around the world. With an unblinking contemporary spatial view, the old and new can be forged into a singular vision that encompasses past, present, and future possibilities. Historic renovation projects include Rockefeller Center, Top of The Rock, various projects for NBC, and the world- famous Rainbow Room.
In 2006, Michael Gabellini received the National Design Award in Interior Design from the Smithsonian Institution Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum. The firm has also won 19 awards from the American Institute of Architects, the prestigious Progressive Architecture Award, and multiple awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design; several prestigious international lighting design awards; Architectural Record, i–D magazine; the International Interior Design Association and the Municipal Art Society of New York.
