The Metropolitan Opera House's Newly Designed Patron Lounge is Ready for a New Generation of Philanthropists
The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City's Lincoln Center remains a bastion of mid-century design excellence. But, like everything with a bit of age, a refresh is inevitable.
The cultural center's patron's lounge, the room in which deep-pocketed folks who literally keep the Metropolitan Opera House's lights on mingle with one another during intermission, received an interior facelift leading up to this year's Fall 2024 season. Christine and John Gachot, the design duo behind New York-City based design firm Gachot Studios, were responsible for breathing fresh air into the interiors of the space with all the furniture donated from the luxury home goods company, Roche Bobois.
"Roche Bobois is deeply committed to supporting arts and cultural institutions globally," Cindy Susilo, Roche Bobois North America's Vice President of Marketing and Sales tells T&C. "Partnering with the Metropolitan Opera, an iconic cultural landmark in New York City, represents the perfect synergy of heritage and innovation, making this partnership a natural extension of our values. This collaboration unites the expertise of both institutions, creating a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity that reflects a shared passion for beauty, elegance, and creativity."
When the Metropolitan Opera House opened in 1966, the revered designer Billy Baldwin was tasked with outfitting the lounge. (The Old Metropolitan Opera House was erected in 1883 by the new moneyed industrialists like the Vanderbilts and Morgans during a social war against the old moneyed families like the Astors, but closed down and moved to its current location on the Upper West Side after it was deemed that the backstage was not adequate for performers). Baldwin echoed the theatrics that would play on stage, by creating an atmosphere with wall-to-wall windows and a domed ceiling.
More recently, the duo at Gachot Studios had novelty in mind, of course, but were sure to keep a hand in the past. They dug into the Met's extensive archive where the lounge's history is documented, based their designs off of its original sketches and photographs, and got to work.
The result is a room that echoes the crimson interiors of the rest of the opera house while also differentiating itself. Blush, red, and camel feature on the soft sofas and lounge chairs, which are arranged to prioritize intimate conversations and (probably) a bit of gossip. Glamour? That's exuded through the glistening gold and travertine accents in the main lobby, bronze mid-century lamps emitting a soft and flattering glow, and the new, custom-made carpet by Creative Matters that twinkles like a constellation. Screens, sadly, aren't used enough in today's world. But, the one in the lounge covered in a fabric by Clarence House can hopefully inspire people to make them fashionable again because this one in particular exemplifies how they add visual depth to the space, effortlessly elevating a space tenfold. And, surely, bubbly champagne and dry martinis will flow generously from the brass Amuneal bar like a watering hole in a dry Savannah desert.
"At Roche Bobois, we approach each redesign with deep respect for the history and character of the space," Susilo says. "Our philosophy is to honor its legacy while introducing elements that enhance, contemporize, and respond to today's needs."
A new interior wasn't enough to signal a fresh beginning for the lounge. It’s now the Keebler J. Straz Lounge, named after a managing director on the Met Opera’s board who generously funded the project. You'll have to pay a weighty donation to bask in its glory, but perhaps a new beautiful space is just one example of the tremendous payoff one receives when taking their pocketbooks to the arts.
PRESENTING SPONSOR: ROCHE BOBOIS (exclusive provider of furniture throughout the Keebler J. Straz Lounge)
Additional sponsors: ABC Stone, Amuneal, Artemest, Bendheim, Bobrick, Creative Matters, Distinctive Windows, Élitis, Fabricut, Hudson Valley Lighting Group, Precision Stone, Waterworks
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