{"id":13872,"date":"2025-08-13T18:09:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T18:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/13\/sothebys-to-open-breuer-landmark-hq-by-herzog-de-meuron-nov-8\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T18:09:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T18:09:13","slug":"sothebys-to-open-breuer-landmark-hq-by-herzog-de-meuron-nov-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/13\/sothebys-to-open-breuer-landmark-hq-by-herzog-de-meuron-nov-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Sotheby\u2019s to Open Breuer Landmark HQ by Herzog & de Meuron Nov. 8"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sotheby\u2019s has announced the opening date for its headquarters in the Breuer Building. \u00a9 Colin Miller | Sotheby’s<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hungarian architect Marcel Breuer<\/a>\u2019s iconic granite building at 945 Madison Avenue opened in 1966, designed as part of the Whitney Museum of American Art\u2019s relocation and expansion. Since then, the hulking presence on New York\u2019s Museum Mile\u2014the stretch of Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side that is home to many of the city\u2019s most prominent museums\u2014has had several identities<\/a>. After housing the Whitney for decades, it became the Met Breuer in 2016. Most recently, the Breuer Building hosted works from the Frick Collection<\/a> during that institution\u2019s just-completed five-year renovation.<\/p>\n

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Two years ago, Sotheby\u2019s announced it had purchased the Brutalist property from the Whitney<\/a>, and this fall, the auction house will finally take over the space, transforming the former museum into its New York headquarters. (The Breuer Building will replace Sotheby\u2019s longtime location on York Avenue\u2014a former cigar factory turned Kodak warehouse that was transformed into its flagship home under A. Alfred Taubman<\/a>\u2019s leadership after the company\u2019s 1983 acquisition.) The November 8 opening will coincide with a major exhibition of modern and contemporary art, followed by the auction house\u2019s fall marquee sales during the week of November 17.<\/p>\n

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The iconic building has been sensitively renovated by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron for Sotheby\u2019s. Sotheby’s<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In preparation for the move, Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron<\/a> updated the iconic building to accommodate auction rooms and add state-of-the-art gallery spaces. The renovation has been described by the auction house as a \u201csensitive adaptation and renovation\u201d that preserves the building\u2019s architectural significance while updating it for auction house use. CEO Charles Stewart<\/a> calls it a \u201creawakening\u201d and \u201creactivation\u201d that bridges the historic architecture of this sculptural landmark with contemporary utility.<\/p>\n

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In partnership with New York-based PBDW Architects, Herzog & de Meuron has preserved the architectural integrity of 945 Madison Avenue while enhancing the building with state-of-the-art gallery space to showcase Sotheby\u2019s full suite of offerings. Sotheby’s<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe are privileged to inhabit an architectural masterpiece that has been home to the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick,\u201d said Lisa Dennison<\/a>, Sotheby\u2019s executive vice president and chairman of the Americas, in a statement. \u201cThose who knew it in earlier incarnations will be moved by how we\u2019ve reimagined 945 Madison Avenue, preserving the spirit of nearly 60 years of acclaimed programming. The Breuer\u2019s design, with its remarkable ability to embrace many styles and eras of art, is especially meaningful for an auction house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Landmark features\u2014including the bluestone floors, bush-hammered concrete walls, trapezoidal \u201ceyelid\u201d windows and dome-ceiling lights\u2014remain integral to the design, while the original benches and counters in the lobby have been reinterpreted as display vitrines, retaining the spatial layout while adding new functionality.<\/p>\n

Lighting plays a central role in enhancing the building\u2019s architectural qualities and softening its more cavernous bulk. The transformation also includes a new restaurant (opening in winter) on the lower level designed and operated by the team behind Roman and Williams, the firm responsible for the celebrated French-style La Mercerie in SoHo. The exhibitions hosted in the auction house\u2019s new Breuer Building headquarters will remain free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

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The project balances innovation and preservation, honoring the celebrated architectural masterpiece. Sotheby’s<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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