Sotheby's auction house has officially announced November 8 as the grand opening date for its new headquarters at the historic Breuer Building, located at 945 Madison Avenue on New York's Upper East Side. The prestigious opening will feature a blockbuster exhibition of modern and contemporary art, followed by marquee auction sales during the week of November 17.

The renowned auction house acquired the distinctive building from the Whitney Museum in 2023 and has spent the past two years conducting extensive renovations. The project was led by Pritzker Prize-winning Basel-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, working in partnership with New York-based PBDW Architects. The Whitney Museum had originally outgrown the space and relocated downtown in 2015 to a new facility designed by Renzo Piano in the Meatpacking District.

"We will be honored to welcome the global art community back into this remarkable museum-quality space," said Charles Stewart, Sotheby's CEO, in an official statement. "On behalf of all of us at Sotheby's, I extend our gratitude to our partners Herzog & de Meuron for their brilliant work in amplifying the Breuer's historical and material legacy for the Sotheby's era. They have devoted the same level of care and respect to the building as you would a great work of art."

Stewart also expressed appreciation for regulatory support, stating, "I'd also like to thank the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee for their support and praise for our spectacular use of the space. We think visitors will agree." The renovation required approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission due to the building's protected status.

The new Sotheby's headquarters will feature state-of-the-art gallery spaces designed to showcase the auction house's full range of offerings. The facility will include reimagined and flexible salesrooms, exhibition spaces across various collecting categories, and a new fine-dining restaurant created in partnership with Roman and Williams, scheduled to open later this winter.

Herzog & de Meuron brings significant museum experience to the project, having previously worked on major cultural institutions including London's Tate Modern, M+ Museum in Hong Kong, and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. In May, ahead of Sotheby's relocation, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Breuer Building as both an individual and interior landmark, providing protection for its historical significance.

The building itself is an architectural masterpiece designed by Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966. It has been widely acclaimed for its unusual form, resembling an inverted ziggurat with a raw concrete interior and distinctive cantilevering structure. Originally constructed to house the Whitney's collection of American art, the building was vacated when the museum moved downtown in 2015. Since then, it has served as a contemporary art annex for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and as a temporary home for the Frick Collection during its renovation.

Preservation concerns arose shortly after Sotheby's announced its acquisition of the building. Preservationist groups submitted lengthy requests to the landmark commission for designation approval, with some expressing concerns about the site's vulnerability to changes during its commercial transition. However, the renovation has proceeded with careful attention to historical preservation.

"We are privileged to inhabit an architectural masterpiece that has been home to the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Frick," said Lisa Dennison, Sotheby's executive vice president and Americas chairman. "Those who knew it in earlier incarnations will be moved by how we've reimagined 945 Madison Avenue, preserving the spirit of nearly 60 years of acclaimed programming. Breuer's design, with its remarkable ability to embrace many styles and eras of art, is especially meaningful for an auction house."

The move to the Breuer Building represents part of Sotheby's broader strategy to expand its global presence and enhance its facilities. The auction house opened new flagship salesrooms in Hong Kong and Paris in 2024, demonstrating its commitment to international growth. Additionally, Sotheby's opened Gantry Point in 2023, a massive 240,000-square-foot facility with cutting-edge amenities located in Long Island City, further expanding its New York area operations and storage capabilities.