Photo: Courtesy of mgnewyorkarchitects.com
Cipriani Wall Street is housed in one of the most historical and illustrious buildings in New York City. The building was constructed between 1836 and 1842 by Boston architect Isaiah Rogers in the Greek Revival style. The façade of the building features twelve large Ionic columns, each carved from a single block of Quincy granite. The building was remodeled in 1899 by National City Bank who commissioned Charles McKim for the project. Four stories were added to the building, and a second colonnade of Corinthian columns was added above the façade. The interiors were also redesigned into a banking hall, featuring the famed central dome, reaching heights of sixty feet. In 1965 the exterior of the building was designated a New York City Landmark.
In 1998 the building was rebuilt as The Regent Wall Street Hotel. The building served as a relief center after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. However, the attacks of September 11th had more lasting effects, as the building closed in 2003 due to lack of business.
It was recently reopened and converted into the Cipriani restaurant and serves as one of Manhattan’s hottest destinations. Visitors today flock from around the world to try famed Italian fare and their famous Bellini cocktails. If you’re looking for a dinner destination steeped in class and history, you can’t go wrong with Cipriani Wall Street.
-Ross Berman
