Workstead: The Epic Redesign Of Historic Le Rock Restaurant Within Rockefeller Center

In 1935, literary giant Gertrude Stein stood on Fifth Avenue and proclaimed Rockefeller Center “the most beautiful thing I have ever seen ever seen ever seen.” A quarter-century later, the American Institute of Architects declared the Raymond Hood–designed complex “so vital to the city and alive with its people that it remains as viable today as when it was built.” As recently as 2015, the scholar Mardges Bacon wrote that Rockefeller Center is a model “for enriching modern metropolitan life.”

Any designer would dream of working in such an iconic setting, and Workstead recently completed the restaurant Le Rock inside Rockefeller Center’s International Building. The French brasserie matches Rockefeller Center, as they adapted to the Art Deco setting. As Florence Fabricant observed in a recent New York Times writeup, “A verdigris screen separates the bar, terrazzo floors are new but don’t look it and bare burled wood tables sit at forest-green leather banquettes.”

To have tastemakers like Workstead, who recently completed the massive project of Canoe Place in Hampton Bays, is a privilege. The project revealed the grandeur of a bygone era that meets the understated comfort of a classic Hamptons residence. Whether it’s on the East End or beyond, they understand that working with historic locations means taking that history into account within their vision. They are cornering the historic design sector and for good reason.

For Le Rock, looking beyond the familiar elements, it reveals the terrazzo flooring which is inlaid with brass strips connecting the corridors of the midtown Manhattan landmark. Looped sconces and pendant lights sleekly reinterpret Belle Epoque–era lighting for the verticality of Rockefeller Center, too. The color palette refers directly to The Story of Mankind, the limestone sculpture that Lee Lawrie created for the International Building just above the restaurant’s exterior entrance.

Meanwhile, the double-height screen that soars behind the bar, crafted of folded glass and salt-packed brass, alludes more slyly to Raymond Hood. It resembles the crown of the American Radiator Building that the architect designed with J. André Fouilhoux.

The 4,000-square-foot commission comprises a 92-seat dining room, 22-seat bar, and 14-seat private dining room. The outdoor terrace accommodates an additional 70 diners. Fabricant called Le Rock a “major addition” to Tishman Speyer’s overhaul of Rockefeller Center’s hospitality offering. The design lives up to the statement, and that it embodies the energy, optimism, and democracy of this quintessentially New York place.

To learn more about Workstead and visit their stunning portfolio, visit www.workstead.com.

Ty Wenzel

Co-Publisher & Contributor

Ty Wenzel, a recent breast cancer survivor, started her career as a fashion coordinator for Bloomingdale’s followed by fashion editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She was also a writer for countless publications, including having published a memoir (St. Martin's Press) and written features for The New York Times. She is an award-winning writer and designer who covers lifestyle, real estate, architecture and interiors for James Lane Post. She previously worked as a writer and marketing director for The Independent. She has won multiple PCLI and NYPA awards for journalism, social media and design, including best website design and best magazine for James Lane Post, which she co-founded in 2020. Wenzel is also a co-founder of the meditation app for kids, DreamyKid, and the Hamptons social media agency, TWM Hamptons Social Media.