Our location for the iMovie is The Plaza Hotel. We went there pretty late in the evening so we had a full view of the night life. It was glamorous and could be described as a social scene for the elite. The picture shows a bar, which is accessed right after entering the lobby. The ceiling is made of glass with vine-like designs. Around the rooms are towering plants and at the centerpiece is a ginormous vase of flowers. In the background, you can see greek-like statue columns. There are also large windows that almost reach the ceiling. However, they are not real windows since the panes are just mirrors. The decorations give the room an air of exoticism and the bar almost seems like a greenhouse. People lounge around the bar in suits and dresses as they sip their drinks and make small talk. Everything in the picture shows how ostentatious and luxurious the Plaza Hotel is.
On the night that we went to see the site, there seemed to be a masquerade ball. As we stood around taking photos, women in gorgeous dresses and mysterious masks passed by. Men in dark suits trailed behind as the employees directed to the ball room a floor above. We could hear the sounds of the party wafting down the stairs. The mysterious atmosphere was only enhanced by the Plaza Hotel. There were plush rugs and marble floors. There were chandeliers in every hallway and well dressed employees in every corner. Art hung on the walls, enhancing the architecture which was looming and grand. In addition, there were various floor to ceiling windows that were actually mirrors, giving the rooms in the Plaza the illusion of being bigger. Everything (the masquerade ball, the architecture, the glamorous people) solidified the Plaza as a social setting for New York’s elite.
This picture of the hotel is amazing. I’ve never actually been to there, just seen it in movies but after seeing this, I want to go. Your description sounds exactly like I imagine the hotel to be. It’s such a great coincidence that there happened to be a masquerade ball on the day that you visited. That sounds like such a great thing to see and experience. Stepping into the hotel seems like it’d feel like stepping into a movie.
I love your project idea! I know most of us in this class are native New Yorkers and for me at least, I’ve never had the experience of actually staying in one of those ritzy hotels of New York that often line busy, clean avenues and streets. Most of what we see are in movies or television shows and dismissed as something that the “Wall Street crowd” indulges in. I was incredibly intrigued by the way in which you described the architecture, decor, design, and the people that populate and give the hotel its character. The description was incredibly vivid and I could see the hotel being an incredibly important part of the aesthetic fabric of New York City, something I hadn’t given much thought. Your project really made me think and I look forward to seeing you guys present.