“It has taken almost two years to the date from the closing of the original Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building to the opening next week of the relocated version, three blocks away.
…Built from scratch, with a $30 million price tag, the new Four Seasons inhabits a two-story space. A simple sleek, dark foyer leads to the dramatic, square Bar Room, seating 50, that captures some of the soaring grandeur of the old Four Seasons. In the center is a bar, 16-feet square and sunken, suggesting the famous pool in the previous dining room.
…Isay Weinfeld, a Brazilian architect whose work is mostly in Latin America and Europe, is responsible for the restaurant’s design. He was on the short list of recommendations that was assembled for the owners by Paul Goldberger, the architecture critic, whose advice they sought.
‘It was a huge challenge’ Mr. Goldberger said. ‘They didn’t want one of the obvious New York restaurant designers, but they also did not want to take a chance on a complete unknown. Isay had the experience. He understands the tradition of Modernism and can also push it forward.'”
-The New York Times