A New York City Gem
Ambassador Grill Dining Room, Circa 1980s. Photo Credit: Roche Dinkeloo
One UN Plaza’s “marble and mirrors” interior was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kevin Roche (1922-2019), founding member of the global architectural firm Roche-Dinkeloo (Ford Foundation, Metropolitan Museum of Art). Designed to complement the adjacent United Nations headquarters building, the hotel’s ground-floor lobby and restaurant are considered to be shining examples of postmodernism—an architectural and design period spanning the late 1960s to early 1990s.
“ A glittering piece of public theater.”
When the hotel debuted to global acclaim in 1976, Ambassador Grill became a sensation on the Manhattan dining scene. Athletes, celebrities, dignitaries, and global denizens would frequent the Grill for its aureate atmosphere and decadent brunch buffets.
“New York’s first good hotel dining room since the 1920s.”
As the culture moved on from the disco era, the majority of the city’s postmodern spaces were renovated or fell into decline and by the 2010s, One UN Plaza was one of the last interiors with its original design details intact. Led by international non-profit organization Docomomo, preservationists filed a permit for Landmark status with the New York City Preservation Commission in 2016—drawing the attention of media outlets including the New York Times. As a result of their efforts, the Grill and the adjacent hotel lobby received Interior Landmark status on January 17, 2017. The city’s 118th Interior Landmark, it is the youngest space to ever receive such an honor.