Much of the ground floor and lower level interiors of Marcel Breuer’s former Whitney Museum of American Art building at 945 Madison Avenue—which Sotheby's bought in 2023 for a reported $100m—has been designated as a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).
The vote to approve landmark designation on 20 May will protect the building's lobby, coat check, gift shop, cafe and other public-facing areas on the ground and lower levels, as well as its main stairwell, from changes during the auction house's renovations, which are being led by the architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron.
The former Whitney "building and its unique interior are remarkable examples of the Brutalist style of modern architecture and represent a powerful testament to New York City’s role as a global center of innovative design,” Sarah Carroll, the chair of the LPC, said in a statement.
The building's galleries, which are not included in the designation, will come to house Sotheby's new salesroom as well as public exhibition, private viewing and dining spaces. The building's exterior has been protected since 1981, when it was designated a landmark as part of the Upper East Side Historic District.
The Breuer building was completed in 1966 and has come to be considered a shining example of Brutalist architecture in the United States. It was designed by the Hungarian American architect and furniture designer at the peak of his career. His experience in the Bauhaus school helped redefine American aesthetics in the second half of the 20th century. After the Whitney opened its new Renzo Piano building in the Meatpacking District in 2015, the Breuer building housed pop-ups of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection.
The exterior of Marcel Breuer's former Whitney Museum of American Art building, soon to be Sotheby's Manhattan headquarters Courtesy New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
“We would have preferred the galleries were included in the designation,” Liz Waytkus, the executive director of Docomomo US—the organisation that filed the landmarking request with the LPC—told The New York Times. “But we’ve spoken to Sotheby’s and they have assured us they are treating all gallery surfaces as if they are designated and using a light hand in their restoration.”
Herzog & de Meuron is best known for its work on the Tate Modern in London and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. The firm is known for its philosophy of “adaptive reuse”, a practice of transforming existing structures while retaining their historic features instead of demolishing and rebuilding from the ground-up. The Swiss-based firm is working with PBDW Architects in New York on the Breuer’s design.
“We fully endorse the landmark designation, as reflected in our initial plans for the building,” Steve Wrightson, Sotheby’s global head of real estate, said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming the public back and honouring the Breuer’s enduring legacy as we usher in a new chapter.”
The auction house's renovations are expected to be complete in time for it to conduct its marquee autumn auctions in the Breuer building in November 2025.
