Proposed changes to Four Seasons prompt outcry

New York

WITH its sleek elegance and white marble pool of bubbling water, the Four Seasons restaurant in the landmark Seagram Building has long been considered an architectural gem - not to mention a haunt for the likes of Henry A Kissinger and Madonna.

Now the owner of the building, Aby J Rosen of RFR Holding, has proposed making changes to the restaurant - designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson in 1958 - that have prompted strong objections from some architects and preservationists.