Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, working alongside local studio PBDW Architects, has completed a comprehensive renovation of Marcel Breuer's iconic brutalist building at 945 Madison Avenue, transforming it into the new Manhattan flagship headquarters for auction house Sotheby's. The project, which the architects describe as a "quasi-invisible" renovation, aims to preserve the architectural integrity of the 1966 structure while adapting its interiors for displaying fine art and luxury goods.
The building, originally known as the Breuer Building, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1966 as the home for New York's Whitney Museum of American Art. The renovation focused on restoring the gallery spaces to Breuer's original floor plans by removing office spaces that had been added over the years. Key architectural elements were meticulously preserved and restored, including the building's distinctive bluestone floors, coffered concrete ceilings, sculptural staircase, and bespoke lobby features.
Among the significant updates made to the building, the architects upgraded lighting systems throughout and created a flexible gallery space on the second floor that can serve multiple functions as both a sales room and events venue. A restaurant, developed in collaboration with interior design firm Roman and Williams, is scheduled to open next spring, adding another dimension to the cultural space.
"After a few intense months of renovation and reconstruction focused mainly on interior spaces, the Breuer building, an extraordinary icon of postwar modernism, is open again for New Yorkers and visitors as an exceptional space to experience art," said Jacques Herzog, co-founder of Herzog & de Meuron. He emphasized the project's philosophy, stating, "Paradoxically, our strongest architectural contribution to this building was to remain quasi-invisible, as if everything had always been there, as it presents itself at the opening today. The beauty and clarity of Breuer's original work radiates, also in its new function, and ensures its relevance for future generations."
The Breuer Building has reopened as Sotheby's flagship gallery space with three inaugural exhibitions: The Leonard A Lauder Collection, The Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection, and Exquisite Corpus. Sotheby's plans to host a series of special events and sales evenings in the coming weeks, with the goal of encouraging public visits to their new headquarters.
"Opening the Breuer marks a new and exciting chapter in our history and a striking return to Madison Avenue for Sotheby's," said Charles F. Stewart, CEO of Sotheby's. "Whether you admire the Breuer as an architectural icon, its storied museum history, or its unbeatable location, we look forward to welcoming you back."
The building itself is clad in concrete panels and features a distinctive stepped facade that dramatically cantilevers over the street, with only a few strategically placed windows protruding from its walls at various angles. This brutalist design has made it one of the most recognizable architectural landmarks in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Before being acquired by Sotheby's, the building served as a temporary home for The Frick Collection art gallery.
This project represents part of Herzog & de Meuron's broader involvement in American cultural institutions. The firm has also created a series of underground galleries for Philadelphia's Calder Gardens art institution and is currently working to transform the former Birkenstock campus in California into a museum for the Eames Institute, demonstrating their continued commitment to preserving and adapting significant architectural works for contemporary cultural use.
