This year the Municipal Art Society's gala dinner not only awarded the president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art, Agnes Gund, with the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis medal but also showcased one of New York's newest landmarks, One Beacon Court/731 Lexington. Midtown's almost completed, soon-to-be home of Bloomberg L.P. was designed by famed architect Cesar Pelli and is a magnificent glass and steel structure that features an ellipse-shaped granite and cobblestone courtyard. Managed by Vornado Realty Trust and built on the former location of Alexander's department store, the residential and office tower is still incomplete, but was made available especially for the society's event.Guests mingled outside in the courtyard during the cocktail hour where they were entertained by 18 violinists, an accordion player, and an upright bassist from Orion Music. The predinner reception also included a performance by the New York Express jazz quartet in the indoor lobby area. The biggest musical highlight of the night was the special performance from the author of The Art of the Steal, Christopher Mason, who sung his imaginative, witty biography of Gund, "Aggie Get Your Gund" to the tune of "You Can't Get Your Man with a Gun."
The team from Robert Isabell ensured that the venue was beautifully decorated—providing centerpieces of roses and berries for the dinner tables, soft lighting inside and out, and draping the north side of the courtyard and areas of the atrium and dinner space with white backlit drapes. As a unique and personal touch, Bradley Associates used postcards of art stuck in tall metal stands to mark table numbers. The art on the postcards was created by students in the Studio in a School program—a nonprofit organization founded by Gund. Glorious Food served a fall-inspired menu including chicken ragout in pumpkins with wild rice and cranberries.
The night ended early with a champagne toast, a traditional Japanese drum performance, and the bang of two confetti-filled canons in the courtyard. Isabell's team timed the canons from Jauchem & Meeh to shoot confetti 100 feet high, highlighted by specially programmed lighting units (with a little help from BML Stage Lighting and Productions and Forest Electric Corporation) as the five drummers from Taikoza finished their performance.
—Anna Sekula
The team from Robert Isabell ensured that the venue was beautifully decorated—providing centerpieces of roses and berries for the dinner tables, soft lighting inside and out, and draping the north side of the courtyard and areas of the atrium and dinner space with white backlit drapes. As a unique and personal touch, Bradley Associates used postcards of art stuck in tall metal stands to mark table numbers. The art on the postcards was created by students in the Studio in a School program—a nonprofit organization founded by Gund. Glorious Food served a fall-inspired menu including chicken ragout in pumpkins with wild rice and cranberries.
The night ended early with a champagne toast, a traditional Japanese drum performance, and the bang of two confetti-filled canons in the courtyard. Isabell's team timed the canons from Jauchem & Meeh to shoot confetti 100 feet high, highlighted by specially programmed lighting units (with a little help from BML Stage Lighting and Productions and Forest Electric Corporation) as the five drummers from Taikoza finished their performance.
—Anna Sekula
This year's Municipal Art Society's annual gala dinner was held at One Beacon Court/731 Lexington—the unfinished future headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. (Photo courtesy of Patrick McMullan)
In the courtyard during the cocktail hour, a music ensemble provided by Orion Music consisting of 18 violins, one accordion player, and one upright bassist, played New York tunes such as "Lullaby of Broadway." (Photo courtesy of Patrick McMullan)
Robert Isabell Inc. created floral centerpieces of roses and berries for the dinner tables. To mark table numbers, Bradley Associates procured postcards of artwork from students in the Studio in a School program.
The night ended with the bang of two confetti-filled canons in the courtyard. Isabell's team timed the canons from Jauchem & Meeh to shoot confetti 100 feet high, highlighted by specially programmed lighting units. (Photo courtesy of Robert Isabell Inc.)
