The newly restored Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC has opened the Backroom at Kingbird restaurant. Like many of the hotel’s public spaces, designed by London-based Ron Arad Architects, the concept features a flowing avant-garde architectural refit to honor both the property’s timeless elegance and its midcentury modern details.
The double-height restaurant has been carved out of the structure to establish two distinct areas: Kingbird and the Backroom at Kingbird. Custom red banquettes partition the areas, which feature Arad’s exclusive Watergate Chairs, which channel the curvature of the building’s original architecture. Descending from the polished black plaster ceiling, eight custom spiral chandeliers make an impact visible from the lobby. Dominating the space, which captures the hotel’s motif of warm red and bronze accents, are two columns crafted from twisted mirror polished stainless steel tubes.
