The Rainbow Room, the famous restaurant/nightclub on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, was granted landmark status in a unanimous vote by the Landmarks Preservation Commission this morning. Former proprietors the Cipriani family restarted the push to get the Rainbow Room—originally denied landmark status in 1998 because a 1987 renovation made it too young—landmarked in 2008. The speculation at the time was that it would give them the upper hand in lease negotiations with landlord Tishman Speyer, who allegedly wanted to turn the historic restaurant into office space. Tishman Speyer, however, evicted the Ciprianis in 2009 and have supported preservation efforts ever since. They began restoring and remodeling the restaurant last summer.
There was no opposition from within the LPC when it came to preserving the Rainbow Room, as all the commissioners expressed great admiration for the establishment. Three or four even intimated that they had personal Rainbow Room memories which might not be appropriate for a public hearing. (One commissioner: "It involves Don King.") They also wished that they could add "required formal dress" to the landmark designation.
The specific parts of the Rainbow Room that are now protected include the walls and ceiling surfaces, floor surfaces, rotating wood dance floor, stairs, stage, seating platforms, glass panel screens, chandeliers, wall sconces, and window frames.
· Rainbow Room coverage [Curbed]
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