Waldorf Astoria New York

A New Chapter in History

In a city of a million stories, few have been as compelling as those lived in the Waldorf Astoria. A globally renowned icon, it has been a beacon of timeless glamour and luxury for over a century. Following a total restoration from sidewalk to spires, this coveted landmark will offer the unique opportunity to own a private condominium residence in one of New York’s most legendary buildings. Following the purchase of the hotel in 2016 – the most expensive in history – Noë & Associates were appointed to create the brand strategy, visual identity, all content, production and global marketing campaign for the development. Four years later in 2020 a comprehensive brand strategy and marketing campaign brings the project to life.

Scope: Brand Strategy, Naming, Identity, Guidelines, Advertising, Photography, Art Direction, Copywriting, Sales Gallery, Software, Website, Literature, Floor Plans, Renders, Animations, Film.

The Towers: Waldorf Astoria Residences

Ext01 Waldorf Hero Crown Shot Park Avenue — The Towers: Waldorf Astoria Residences New York

“There is an awesome responsibility that comes with restoring such a timeless part of New York’s and the world’s cultural fabric. The Waldorf Astoria will always be an American icon.”

Skidmore Owings & Merrill

Bespoke Type

Schultze & Weaver was an architecture firm established in 1921 in New York City. As the architects of the Waldorf Astoria hotel they also designed all of the engraved and gilt inlay signage on the building facades. When researching the hotel’s vast historic archives, the building elevation drawings detailed the typography as part of the fabric of the building. The font however was never drawn beyond the characters of the hotel name. Noë & Associates has developed the new Waldorf Astoria custom typeface based on these original drawings from 1929 into a full character set, ensuring that all visual communications be instantly identifiable and unique. With a direct link to its Art Deco roots but very much looking to the future we also developed the logo marque and patterning based on an original illustration retrieved from the archives.

“The difficult immediately, the impossible takes a little longer.”

Waldorf Astoria staff motto

Wa Ident Web V5 — Waldorf Astoria: Custom Typeface

Waldorf Grey

When researching the Waldorf Astoria and meeting architects of the restoration, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it was discovered that the unique facade of the building is composed of brick especially made for the hotel in 1929 called Waldorf Grey. Part of the restoration is a complete cleaning of this brick bringing it back to its original grandeur and colour. We obtained a sample of the brick and working with English paper specialists GF Smith and James Cropper paper mill developed a unique ‘Waldorf Grey’ colour and manufactured seven tons of fully recyclable and biodegradable, FSC certified paper just for the project. The paper has a unique embossing texture also and is a constant celebration of the craft, attention to detail and the uniqueness of the building.

Custodians of Heritage

The story of the Waldorf Astoria is, in many ways, a story of New York City – a story of ambition, innovation, and achievement woven into the very fabric of the building. In approaching the project Noë & Associates were acutely aware of our role as one of the custodians of the building’s heritage and ensured numerous restoration details have been captured. The development team also overlooked no detail when assembling a globally distinguished group of architects, designers, and specialists. From architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, to residential interior designer Jean-Louis Deniot, hotel designer Pierre–Yves Rochon and art curator Simon de Pury, this team represents the very best in the business; their task was to consider every aspect of the building’s restoration, in exquisite detail and without compromise. Our job was to tell that story and present the Towers of the Waldorf Astoria in the most engaging, interesting and beautiful way.

An Inherent Responsibility

The restoration team spent countless hours studying, cataloging, and restoring the hotel’s historic spaces, such as the Clock Lobby and the Grand Ballroom. Expert preservationists took great care in restoring the hotel’s unique artefacts, including the Spirit of Achievement statue that graced the Park Avenue entrance, the 1893 World’s Fair Clock, and Cole Porter’s Steinway piano. Each element of the restoration was considered both individually and collectively as a collaboration between artisan, curator, and designer. We documented on film and camera, over 3 years, this meticulous approach which will in turn preserve the legendary heritage of the Waldorf Astoria for decades to come.

Wa Restoration 3 — Photography & Film by Noë & Associates

The Most Glamorous Address in the City

Waldorf Astoria New York stands tall above world-famous Park Avenue, its distinct, coppered Art Deco towers are a fixture of the New York City skyline. Located just blocks from the city’s finest cultural institutions, restaurants, and the high-fashion destinations of Madison and Fifth Avenues, The Towers of The Waldorf Astoria are at the very heart of all that the city has to offer. To capture this one of a kind location we commissioned photographer Kat Irlin to document the glamour of the neighbourhood through her uniquely cinematic, film noir inspired lens.

Next project: Domino Park

A New Park at the Williamsburg Waterfront