David Lamb Photography
Location:North Salem, NY
Completion Date:2017
Awards:AIA WHV Citation Award
The design team collaborated with Elegant Banquets on the renovation of the former Le Chateau restaurant into a banquet hall for weddings and events. The project included an addition of a banquet hall/event space with a dance floor and adjacent bar and renovations to the spaces connecting the existing structure including pre-function spaces and the cocktail lounge.
Front exterior elevation.
The Tudor-style mansion was originally commissioned in 1907 by J.P. Morgan as a gift for his pastor and friend, Reverend William S. Rainsford. Known as Savin Rock, the project sought to preserve the history of the mansion while injecting a modern New York sensibility.
Renovated main entry and lobby.
A new vestibule at the front entry was created with a pergola style roof and enclosed glass to preserve the expression of the building’s original façade while providing a climate-controlled passage for the coming and going of guests.
The original wood paneled lobby opens to a new connecting lounge and a salon and bar that has sweeping mountain views and access to a lower terrace and the estate grounds. An original salon and reception area were renovated and provide more fluid access to the gardens for outdoor wedding ceremonies.
Le Chateau dining room.
The expansive new dining hall is modern and open while still echoing traditional elements of the original building. The space is lighted by large striking chandeliers and naturally lit by windows on three sides of the space. An arching central window frames the mountain view and serves as a backdrop for indoor wedding ceremonies. The exterior façade of the addition emulates the Tudor-style of the original building with decorative half timbering and a pitched gabled roof.