{"id":20932,"date":"2026-02-10T23:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/10\/bonhams-opens-new-u-s-headquarters-at-111-west-57th-street\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T23:59:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:59:57","slug":"bonhams-opens-new-u-s-headquarters-at-111-west-57th-street","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/10\/bonhams-opens-new-u-s-headquarters-at-111-west-57th-street\/","title":{"rendered":"Bonhams Opens New U.S. Headquarters at 111 West 57th Street"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The auction house unveiled its new U.S. headquarters at 111 West 57th Street in New York earlier this week. Courtesy Bonhams. Photo: Colin Miller<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Monday (Feb. 9), Bonhams<\/a> unveiled new U.S. headquarters at 111 West 57th Street in its latest effort to expand its presence in the U.S. market<\/a>, following several record-breaking years of global growth. In 2025, the company hit a milestone of $970 million in total sales across auctions and private transactions worldwide, driven in part by record performance in Asia (HK$810 million achieved in Hong Kong). In November, Bonhams New York\u2019s 20th and 21st Century Art Week delivered one of the house\u2019s most successful domestic performances to date, setting the stage for its new U.S. flagship.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur move to this historic address along the 57th Street cultural corridor\u2014where retail, architecture and art are united\u2014is a statement of our long-term commitment to the U.S. market, and an opportunity to redefine how Bonhams is experienced,\u201d Lilly Chan<\/a> told Observer, adding that the new headquarters lets Bonhams engage more visibly with New York\u2019s cultural landscape and collectors. Designed to be welcoming and inclusive, the state-of-the-art auction rooms, enhanced galleries and redesigned client reception areas will support exhibitions, public-facing programming and, notably, cross-category engagement.<\/p>\n

Designed by SHoP Architects, the 42,000-square-foot historic Steinway Rotunda has been seamlessly integrated with an 80-foot glass atrium, offering a transparent view into the heart of the auction house. The street-facing atrium serves as the main reception and lobby, anchored by a grand staircase that leads to a triple-height gallery and two large, world-class auction rooms\u2014enhancing both accessibility and visibility.<\/p>\n

According to Chan, the four-story headquarters will better accommodate Bonhams\u2019 more than 60 sales categories. \u201cThe design of our new space allows us to activate categories in ways that weren\u2019t previously possible, especially Modern and Contemporary art, collectibles, luxury, cars and culturally significant private collections,\u201d she said. \u201cWith multiple gallery formats and new spatial flexibility, we can accommodate everything from large-scale objects to site-specific installations, creating opportunities for specialists to focus on exhibition-led storytelling and collaborate across departments.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The program for the inaugural month, which spans musical heritage, art and design, reflects Bonhams\u2019 cross\u2011category approach. Courtesy Bonhams. Photo: Colin Miller<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The space reflects Bonhams\u2019 strategic alignment with a broader industry shift among auction houses toward the fast-growing luxury segment, where experiential, lifestyle-driven offerings are becoming central to audience expansion. While luxury has long been part of Bonhams\u2019 identity, Chan noted that what distinguishes the house is its breadth and contextual approach. \u201cCategories such as jewelry, watches, cars and design are not treated as adjacent to fine art, but as part of a broader cultural and collecting conversation.\u201d This strategy translates particularly well across geographical markets. \u201cNo matter where the item is sold, our clients are global, and APAC and the U.S. are very important to our business as key areas of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bonhams\u2019 jewelry department delivered standout results in 2025, with high-value pieces and single-owner collections performing strongly across eight salerooms worldwide. Chan confirmed that in the U.S., the category has emerged as a key growth driver, combining strong connoisseur demand with broad collector appeal. Since 2019, the category has grown by 65 percent, fueled by exceptional stones, strong provenance and significant collections\u2014areas in which Bonhams has long-standing authority. \u201cIn the U.S., jewelry is often a gateway into wider collecting,\u201d she said. \u201cWe intend to use the new space to continue that growth trajectory. Beautiful things deserve a beautiful place to be shown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded in London in 1793 by Thomas Dodd<\/a>\u2014a former royal picture dealer to King George III\u2014and Walter Bonham<\/a> as Bonhams & Brooks, Bonhams is among the world\u2019s oldest auction houses. Throughout the 19th Century, it established a reputation as a reliable mid- to high-tier auction house operating alongside Christie\u2019s and Sotheby\u2019s, distinguished by a more connoisseur-driven focus. In the early 2000s, Bonhams embraced a strategy of international expansion, opening salerooms across Europe, the U.S. and Asia. More recently, under private-equity ownership by Epiris, the house has acquired regional auction houses including Skinner, Bukowskis, Bruun Rasmussen, Cornette de Saint-Cyr and others, building a federated global network with deep local expertise. In October 2025, Bonhams was acquired by Pemberton Asset Management, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the company.<\/p>\n

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The opening of the new headquarters is part of the auction house\u2019s global expansion strategy. Courtesy Bonhams. Photo: Colin Miller<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The inaugural exhibitions staged for the opening exemplify Bonhams\u2019 cross-category approach. In the atrium, the house is presenting \u201cStriking a Chord<\/a>,\u201d a thematically curated exhibition dedicated to the legacy of Steinway Hall. At its center is a 1910 Steinway & Sons<\/a> Model B Grand Piano, which will be offered in the auction house\u2019s forthcoming Masters of Pop<\/a> sale running online April 23-May 7, 2026, with an estimate of $250,000-350,000. The piano carries particular historical resonance, having been played by Elton John<\/a> during the recording of his landmark 1974 album Caribou<\/i>, including the seminal single Don\u2019t Let the Sun Go Down on Me<\/i>. Surrounding the instrument are masterworks of Modern and Contemporary art, including an exceptionally rare-to-market La Muse endormie II<\/i> by Constantin Brancusi<\/a>, alongside works by John Chamberlain<\/a>, Francis Bacon<\/a> and Lee Krasner<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also on view is \u201cModern Cuban Painters from Havana to New York: The Exhibition<\/a>,\u201d which pays tribute to the Museum of Modern Art\u2019s landmark 1944 exhibition \u201cModern Cuban Painters\u201d\u2014a pivotal moment when Cuban modernism entered the U.S. cultural consciousness. Presented in collaboration with Fundaci\u00f3n Mariano Rodr\u00edguez<\/a>, the exhibition reunites, for the first time in more than 80 years, works shown in the original MoMA exhibition alongside paintings exhibited in influential New York galleries during the 1940s and not seen publicly in decades. Artists represented include some of the most groundbreaking names in Cuban art, such as Wilfredo Lam<\/a>, Mario Carre\u00f1o<\/a>, Cundo Berm\u00fadez<\/a>, Mariano Rodr\u00edguez and Amelia Pel\u00e1ez<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the opening presentations is a selection from renowned New York gallerist Evan Lobel<\/a>\u2019s collection, featuring a refined group of artists and designers who helped shape the city\u2019s postwar design landscape. Highlights include iconic works by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Karl Springer and Stephen Rolfe Powell, and an Andy Warhol diamond dust painting from the collection of billionaire investor and philanthropist Sid Bass<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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