herzog & de meuron-restored breuer building opens as sotheby's HQ in new york

marcel breuer’s brutalist icon reopens in new york

An icon of Brutalist architecture in New York, the Breuer Building reopens this week as the new global headquarters of Sotheby’s. The Marcel Breuer-designed museum has stood at 945 Madison Avenue since 1966, and has since been home to the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Frick. Its latest transformation by Herzog & de Meuron marks the continuation of its public legacy. designboom attended a preview of the renovated building to learn about the project from the Sotheby’s team and architect Wim Walschap, Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron.

‘This building is an example of postwar modernism and Brutalism with a very distinct beauty,’ says Walschap. ‘It was designed specifically for public use. It has endured as an icon and much-loved landmark in New York, proving also its timeless appeal.

‘Our goal was to preserve the building’s integrity, its purpose, and legacy, while preparing it for a dynamic new use that puts art at the center.’

the Marcel Breuer-designed museum has stood at 945 Madison Avenue since 1966. image © designboom

herzog & de meuron’s sensitive renovation

The Breuer Building”s adaptive reuse for Sotheby‘s, undertaken by Herzog & de Meuron with New York–based PBDW Architects, is approached with respect for its legacy as a New York icon. The architects retain the weight and texture of Marcel Breuer’s bush-hammered concrete, which continues to express itself as both surface and structure. Along Madison Avenue, a subtle lighting scheme renews the facade’s sculptural presence after dark.

Inside, the reconfiguration restores the original gallery sequences conceived for the Whitney Museum while equipping them for Sotheby’s program of exhibitions, auctions, and events. Office partitions have been removed to reestablish spatial continuity, while updated environmental systems and new lighting calibrate the galleries for both fine art and design objects.

‘We worked closely with Sotheby’s to ensure that the building does more than just retain its identity,’ Walschap explains. ‘We’ve tried to reactivate it and prepare it for the next generation of use, balancing preservation and transformation.’

Sotheby’s Breuer building lobby. image © designboom

new galleries for sotheby’s global headquarters

The new galleries for Sotheby’s Global HQ at the Breuer Building in New York open with exhibitions drawn from The Leonard A. Lauder Collection, The Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection, and Exquisite Corpus, a major private collection of Surrealist art. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Crowns (Peso Neto) (1981) and Maurizio Cattelan’s America (2016) also feature among the inaugural displays. These shows remain free and open to the public, extending Breuer’s original vision of accessibility.

‘The opening of Sotheby’s at the Breuer is a historic moment for New York City, the art world, and our company,’ says Steve Wrightson, Sotheby’s Global Head of Real Estate, Facilities & Security. ‘The Breuer building, deeply woven into the architectural landmarks and history of New York, perfectly complements our portfolio of marquee locations in Hong Kong, Paris, London, and Zurich.’

Sotheby’s third-floor Breuer galleries, featuring works from the Modern Evening Auction, highlighted by Dorothea Tanning’s ‘Interior with Sudden Joy’, Frida Kahlo’s ‘El sueño (La cama)’, and Victor Brauner’s ‘Maison hantée’ [left to right]. photography by Stefan Ruiz, courtesy Sotheby’s

Herzog & de Meuron’s intervention works largely through precision rather than addition. The rhythm of exposed concrete, dark granite floors, and carefully proportioned window openings remains central to the experience. The gallery ceilings are stripped back to their original profiles, and support new track lighting systems that adjust between exhibition and salesroom use. On the second floor, a flexible hall now accommodates talks and events.

A restaurant designed by Roman and Williams will open in the spring, completing the building’s reactivation. ‘Those who knew it in earlier incarnations will be moved by how we’ve reimagined 945 Madison Avenue,’ says Lisa Dennison, Sotheby’s Executive Vice President and Chairman, Americas. ‘Breuer’s design, with its remarkable ability to embrace many styles and eras of art, is especially meaningful for Sotheby’s.’

The Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection. image © designboom

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Crowns (Peso Neto) (1981). image © designboom

The Leonard A. Lauder Collection. image © designboom

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Sotheby’s immersive gallery featuring Maurizio Cattelan’s America, image © designboom

Wim Walschap, Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron. image © designboom

Sotheby’s Breuer building lobby, featuring Frank Stella's 'Concentric Square' [left] and Jean Arp's 'Ptolémée III' [right]. photograph by Max Touhey, courtesy Sotheby's

Sotheby’s fifth-floor Breuer galleries, featuring works from the Modern Day Auction, including property from the Kelly Collection of American Illustration, and highlighted by Auguste Rodin’s 'L’Ombre, taille originale dite taille de la porte', Raymond Duchamp-Villon’s 'Young Girl Sitting', and Rodin’s 'Athlète, version type B dite aussi tête regardant à droite'

project info:

name: Breuer Building

original architect: Marcel Breuer (1966)

renovation architect: Herzog & de Meuron | @herzogdemeuron

executive architect & preservation: Platt Byard Dovell White Architects (PBDW) | @pbdwarchitects

location: 945 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, USA

site area: 1,200 square meters (12,916 sqft)

gross floor area (GFA): 7,268 square meters (78,232 sqft)

previous coverage: August 2025

client: Sotheby’s | @sothebys

design team: Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Wim Walschap (Partner in Charge), Philip Schmerbeck (Associate, Project Director), Jackie Bae (Associate, Project Manager), Bethany Herrmann (Project Designer), Farhad Ahmad, Marija Brdarski, Javier de Cárdenas Canomanuel, Sebastian Frowein, Nathan Mehl, Melodie Sanchez

structural engineering: Silman Structural Solution / TYLin

MEPFP engineering: AMA Group USA

lighting design: Tillotson Design Associates

AV & low voltage consulting: TMT Technology

acoustic consulting: Eligator Acoustics Associates

geotechnical consulting: Langan Engineering and Environmental Services

vertical transportation: DTM Inc.

life safety: Homes Keogh Associates

code consulting: Gillman Consulting Inc.

waterproofing & special inspections: Socotec Engineering, Inc.

contractor: J.T. Magen