LPC designates 1 Wall Street banking room

For immediate release: June 25, 2024
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LPC designates 1 Wall Street banking hall as indoor monument

Known as the “Red Room,” this glittering, elaborately tiled space once served as the reception hall for the Irving Trust and banking company.

The lobby features mosaics by master muralist Hildreth Meière, a pioneer for women in the fields of architecture and design

The newly restored “Red Room” will reopen to house French luxury retailer Printemps at 1 Wall Street, an iconic location and New York City’s largest office-to-residential conversion

new York – Today, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously to designate the 1 Wall Street Banking Room Interior, commonly known as the “Red Room,” as an interior landmark. A stunning reception and banking room for the Irving Trust and Bank Company, this unique, richly tiled space was completed in 1931 and represents the work of two masters: architect Ralph Walker and muralist Hildreth Meière.

The “Red Room” is a sculptural, glittering jewel box unlike any bank interior built in New York before or since. After the collapse of the financial markets in 1929, it became critically important for the Irving Trust Company to project an image of permanence and untouched wealth, and the opulence of the Gilded Age of banking. 1 Wall Street was intended to convey this message, serving as an impressive and welcoming reception space for clients of the Irving Trust Company.

The Old Bank Hall is visually striking, with walls that mimic the curved stone facades of 1 Wall Street, one of New York’s first Art Deco skyscrapers and itself a designated individual landmark. The walls, ceiling, and columns of the room shimmer with warm-colored mosaic tiles that fade from red to orange on the ceiling, and the gold tiles create web-like patterns that shimmer against the red background and attract the look – an elaborate style that presents a radical departure from the classically inspired stone banking halls more typical of the period.

“1 Wall Street Banking Room, one of the most beautiful interior spaces in New York, is now designated as a landmark as part of a major office-to-residential conversion project,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “With the designations of 1 Wall Street and Banking Room, LPC highlights how our goals of preserving historic spaces and building housing are complementary.”

“Designed by Ralph Walker, the Banking Hall at 1 Wall Street features stunning mosaics created by Hildreth Meière, a master muralist who paved the way for women in the decorative arts, and has been one of New York’s architectural gems ever since. the height of art The Deco era,” said. Sarah Carroll, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. “Following thoughtful restoration, the dazzling beauty of the ‘Red Room’ will once again be open for the public to experience and appreciate, and today’s vote to designate this special interior monument ensures that ‘it will continue to delight visitors for years to come.’

“We are thrilled to participate in the restoration and preservation of one of New York’s most important Art Deco murals,” said Laura Lendrum, CEO of Spring America. “The Red Room is a testament to New York City’s rich architectural and cultural heritage, and we are honored to bring it back to life for the public to enjoy.” This project reflects our commitment to blending history and modernity, creating a unique space and immersive retail experience that honors the past while looking toward the future. Hildreth Meière was a master muralist and a pioneer for women in the fields of architecture and design, and Printemps has proudly championed women for over 100 years, making this collaboration particularly meaningful. “

The Banking Room at 1 Wall Street opened in 1931, at a time when tile mosaics and other forms of wall art were experiencing a resurgence in popularity. 1 Wall Street architect Ralph Walker hired renowned artist Hildreth Meière to develop this stunning mosaic – the first of many collaborations between the artist and architect. Meière’s murals also decorate the walls of the AT&T Long Distance Building, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Temple Emanu-El, and Radio City Music Hall, and her work would ultimately break many barriers for women in the field of architecture and design. Ralph Walker was a principal of the Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker firm and one of New York’s most notable designers of Art Deco high-rise buildings. In addition to the AT&T Long Distance Building, Walker also designed the Barclay-Vesey Building and the Western Union Building, at 60 Hudson Street – all individual landmarks.

In 1987-88, the Irving Trust Bank Corporation was acquired by the Bank of New York, New York City’s oldest banking institution, and in 2014 the building was sold again, this time to Macklowe Development. In 2016, the LPC approved work allowing this iconic building to undergo one of the largest office-to-residential conversions in New York, creating 566 housing units and ground-floor retail.

As part of this work, the ‘Red Room’ is undergoing a comprehensive restoration, including using a trove of recently discovered surplus original tiles to restore the murals, and the space will soon reopen for use commercial as its first location in New York. from French luxury retailer Printemps.

Pictures: Photographs of the interior of 1 Wall Street Banking Room are available online

About the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the Mayor’s agency charged with protecting and preserving architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites in New York City. Since its inception in 1965, the LPC has granted landmark status to more than 38,000 buildings and sites, including 1,464 individual monuments, 123 interior monuments, 12 scenic monuments, and 158 historic districts and extensions throughout the five boroughs. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/landmarks and connect with us at www.facebook.com/NYCLandmarks and www.twitter.com/nyclandmarks.