The years-long tussle over what will happen with the Four Seasons Restaurant, located in the iconic Seagram Building, finally seemed to reach its conclusion last year: Developer Aby Rosen let the current owners' lease expire, necessitating a move for them, and allowing the dudes behind Major Food Group to swoop in with a yet-to-be-determined restaurant to fill the space.
But the saga isn't over just yet. According to a report by Eater NY, owners Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder are holding something of a fire sale: They've been telling customers that they're "cleaning out the wine cellar" in anticipation of their move from the space. What's more, Niccolini told Eater that everything in the restaurant is up for grabs—and he means everything:
"We will auction everything — even the silverware and banquettes deigned by Philip Johnson. Every day, people call and say 'I want 10 chairs,' or when they come in they say 'Remember, this is my banquette!'"
No word yet on who will handle the auction, which is expected to happen later this summer, but fans of Modernist architecture may want to start saving their pennies now.
The restaurant itself opened in 1958, and has since become a Modernist icon, with a pedigree that includes a design by Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe, along with furniture by the latter, and flatware by Ada Louise and L. Garth Huxtable. Rosen has been attempting to make changes to the space for several years now—and succeeded once, when Pablo Picasso's massive "Le Tricorne" tapestry was moved from the restaurant to the New-York Historical Society—but last year, the Landmarks Preservation Commission ruled that the Modernist interiors must remain as-is. (Who knows if Rosen will listen, though.)
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