Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Museums & Heritage
news

New York takes first step towards landmarking Breuer building's interior

Sotheby’s, which bought the former home of the Whitney Museum last year, promises to respect the building’s “architectural significance” in its upcoming renovations

Elena Goukassian
9 January 2025
Share
A view of the Breuer building’s lobby in 2016, shortly after it became a satellite exhibition space of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Photo: Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

A view of the Breuer building’s lobby in 2016, shortly after it became a satellite exhibition space of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Photo: Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

The City of New York is considering granting landmark status to parts of the Breuer building’s interior—including most of the first floor and the main staircase—which could affect Sotheby’s renovation plans for its newly acquired Manhattan headquarters.

The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted in December to add a public hearing on the issue to its calendar, marking the first step in the landmarking process. The hearing has not yet been scheduled but is expected to take place within the next few months. The exterior of the brutalist building has been a designated landmark since 1981 as part of the Upper East Side Historic District.

In a statement responding to the LPC’s recent move, Sotheby’s said: “As a leading destination for art and culture, we deeply respect the architectural significance of the Breuer building and remain committed to preserving its legacy and working collaboratively with all stakeholders involved.”

Art market

Sotheby’s will pay $100m for the Whitney Museum’s Marcel Breuer building

Carlie Porterfield. , with additional reporting by Scott Reyburn

The Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue, former home of the Whitney Museum of American Art, was designed by the architect Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966. After the Whitney moved to its new Renzo Piano-designed building in 2014, the Breuer served as a satellite of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a few years and later hosted works from the Frick Collection while the latter’s Beaux Arts mansion underwent major renovations. Sotheby’s finalised its purchase of the Breuer in November 2024; the auction house hired the architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron to lead its renovation, which it expects to be completed in autumn 2025.

In a press release announcing that the Breuer had officially changed hands, Sotheby’s highlighted Herzog & de Meuron’s history of renovating historic buildings like London’s Tate Modern and the Park Avenue Armory in New York. “The project will perfectly balance innovation and preservation,” the auction house stated of its plans for the Breuer’s interior, “ensuring that Sotheby’s new location continues to be a celebrated architectural masterpiece.”

Charles F. Stewart, Sotheby’s chief executive, further noted that the Breuer renovation would proceed with “the same level of care and respect that we would give to a great work of art”.

Calls to designate parts of the Breuer’s interior as a landmark began in 2023, after Sotheby’s intent to purchase the building was first announced. In December of that year, Docomomo—a non-profit devoted to the study and protection of Modernist architecture—filed a 45-page document highlighting the importance of the Breuer’s interior and requesting that the LPC consider granting it landmark status. Several more historic-preservation groups and the local community board subsequently joined the call.

Museums & Heritage

Breuer building's miniature sculpture to stay put after takeover

Claire Voon

Landmark designation for the interior of buildings is rare, with only 123 recognised in New York City—one of which is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Should parts of the interior of the Breuer be declared a landmark, alterations to those sections would need to be approved by the LPC. Parts of the building nominated for landmark status include a slice of the lower-level event space, the main staircase and the first floor’s vestibule, lobby and coat check; the upper storeys would not be affected save for the stairwell. Sotheby’s already promised to preserve the artist Charles Simonds’s beloved site-specific stairway installations.

Museums & HeritageNew York CityLandmarks Preservation CommissionSotheby'sMarcel BreuerDocomomo USArt marketNew York real estate
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Museums & Heritagenews
8 January 2024

Frick Collection director to retire after $195m renovation

Ian Wardropper has been leading the museum since 2011, guiding it through its renovation and temporary relocation to the former Whitney Museum building

Elena Goukassian
Museums & Heritagenews
14 August 2023

Breuer building's miniature sculpture to stay put after takeover

Sotheby's, which is the new owner of the Madison Avenue building, “will proudly act as stewards” of Charles Simonds’s tiny installation

Claire Voon
Art marketnews
24 June 2024

Sotheby’s Paris will relocate to new space in historic former gallery

The new location at 83 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré will offer 30% more exhibition space

Carlie Porterfield
Art marketnews
1 June 2023

Sotheby’s will pay $100m for the Whitney Museum’s Marcel Breuer building

The auction house expects to move into the Madison Avenue building in 2025, vacating its current York Avenue headquarters

Carlie Porterfield. , with additional reporting by Scott Reyburn