New York's Rainbow Room Re-opens, Becomes Venue for John Soane gala

The iconic Rainbow Room has reopened once more after being closed in 2009 during the economic recession. This favorite destination of high-profile personalities and A-listers on top of the Rockefeller Plaza reopens in time for the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation Gala Dinner which was held last Monday, September 29. On October 3, Rainbow Room will be celebrating its 80th birthday as well.

The Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation Gala Dinner is an annual event which celebrates the architect and educator’s contribution to the society. It also bestows the Soane Foundation Honors upon remarkable professionals who have become influential in their fields of design, architecture, architectural education and conservation. This year, the gala honored David Adjaye and Phyllis Lambert.

David Adjaye OBE, a London-based architect, has built his name alongside with his firm through the design of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington. Other works by Adjaye include the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. He has also recently completed an affordable housing project in Harlem, New York.

Phyllis Lambert, CC, FRAIC, Hon. FRIBA, has been a household name in architecture since the 1950s. As a Director of Planning for the Seagram Building, Lambert chose to work with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the project. Lambert is an author, urban activist, a licensed architect and is the Founding Director Emeritus of the Canadian Center of Architecture in Montreal. During the recently-held Venice Architecture Biennale, Lambert received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also the subject of a documentary film “Citizen Lambert: Joan of Architecture” which was produced in 2007.

The black tie gala started with a reception at 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 8:00 p.m. It was hosted by Sir Peter Westmacott, the British Ambassador to the United States. The gala is co-chaired by Michael Boodro, Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decor and architect Robert A.M. Stern.