The Spirit of Achievement statue stood sentry over the Waldorf Astoria New York’s Park Avenue entrance from the day it opened in 1931 until 2017, when it was removed for restoration and safekeeping while the building underwent its transformation into the forthcoming Waldorf Astoria Residences New York. Designed by groundbreaking Icelandic artist Nína Sæmundsson and chosen from among 400 competing entries, the statue embodied the innovation and ambition that the Art Deco hotel shared with its home city.
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