New York’s only revolving restaurant is back in action

Rockwell Group is perhaps best known for the innumerable high-profile restaurants it has comprehensively outfitted – Nobu and Coqodaq (amongst many) – but the long-established practice has also made a name for itself in scenography: the set design of many top-rated Broadway productions, including Kinky Boots and Hairspray. Touring the interdisciplinary firm’s expansive Union Square office, one will come upon the model room, a space chock-full of intricately crafted stage maquettes spanning principal David Rockwell’s 40-year-plus career.

New York’s The View Restaurant and Lounge reopens

Covering both areas of the firm’s expertise is the recently reopened The View Restaurant and Lounge; a two-level rotating haunt set atop the iconic John Portman-designed New York Marriott Marquis hotel. The deftly reimagined venue makes the most of dense skyline views in its immediate vicinity while paying homage to the many theatres of Broadway in its midst.

Rockwell Group’s intervention centred on the concept of both ‘staging’ the space and carefully framing the ever-changing vistas with little obstruction, largely achieved through the step-down tiering of the spinning platforms: the cleverly configured dining room on the 47th floor and the meandering banquettes of the bar on the 48th. The rest of the programming – monumental cocktail and seafood bars; a piano and live music vignette; various murals; sloped staircases; and elevator bays – anchors to the core of the building and reveals itself in sequence throughout a full 360-degree spin, taking approximately 45-minutes.

Both contemporary and timeless, the design scheme incorporates a tight but dynamically implemented palette of burl wood, iridescent Venetian plaster, faceted antique mirrors and richly textured velvet blue drapery; an element that nods to the stage curtains prevalent throughout the surrounding area. Concentric circles on the ceiling and otherwise visually imperceptible barriers discreetly demark the movement of the circular floors. The juxtaposition of metallic and matte finishes hints at the entropic choreography of cars, trains, and people ceaselessly unfolding on the streets below.

Perhaps the most striking element is the theatrical backdrop of the main bar. This mise-en-scene comprises dramatically illuminated skyscraper-esque volumes monumentally clustered at varying angles and containing bottle shelves at their base. An oversized cast bronze pendant – evoking a globe – descends from a recess in the ceiling. Nods to Art Deco architecture – an emphatically early 20th-century New York style – are hard to miss but don’t overpower the experience.

When it comes to the menu, meticulously curated by renowned Executive Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley, The View takes its cues from the American supper clubs and chop houses of a bygone era. ‘In many ways, The View feels like the perfect culmination of my past roles. A more grown up and elevated expression of the food I’ve always gravitated towards cooking,’ she says. Tuna Carpaccio and Seared Duck Breast dishes join Jubilee Sundae and Classic New York Cheesecake deserts.

‘The View is a result of impressive vision and incredible collaboration between Union Square Hospitality Group, Marriott and Rockwell Group,’ says Chip Wade, the former’s Chief Executive Officer. ‘The restaurant and bar reopens its doors to an entirely new generation of New Yorkers.’ For many locals and even visitors, Times Square carries certain unfavourable connotations, but the reimagining of this institution – just a block away from the overrun tourist trap – is helping to change perception.

The View Restaurant and Lounge is located at 1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, United States; theviewnewyorkcity.com