shohei shigematsu of OMA to transform sotheby's new york headquarters

sotheby’s auction house has announced that it will unveil a dramatic expansion and reimagining of its new york city headquarters designed by OMA architect shohei shigematsu. the redesign — which will see the venue’s exhibition space grow to over 90,000 square feet from 67,000 — features vast new galleries for fine art, precious objects, luxury goods, and more.

all images courtesy of OMA new york

opening on may 3rd 2019, members of the public will be able to peruse through 40 galleries of varying sizes spread across four entirely transformed floors. a dynamic repertoire of spatial conditions for display include white cube, double height, enfilade, corridor, cascade, octagonal and an L-shaped space. the spaces have been designed to provide the optimal exhibition space for everything from single objects to expansive collections, and can accommodate works of any scale.

among the new galleries are nine for discreet private sales and one dedicated to small-scale objects, like jewelry and watches. three two-story spaces will be set aside for exhibitions, along with a 150-foot-long space for full collections, according to the new york times. the redesign also includes the presence of concrete columns in some galleries, which shigematsu explains, reflects the history of the space. plans also show a new coffee bar added to the lobby. the project is expected to cost $55 million according to sotheby’s.

‘we wanted to embody sotheby’s ambition to reinvigorate and enhance the client experience by introducing high-flexibility through reorganization of programs and diversification of gallery spaces’, says shohei shigematsu, partner at OMA since 2008. ‘the new headquarters is designed for openness and discovery—all public facing programs are shifted to lower levels, unlocking the public potential of the building. a taxonomy of galleries can be used separately or as clusters to allow curatorial freedom, driven by business model shifts and expanding repertoire of programming.’

the news comes shortly after OMA released a construction update of its performing arts center in taipei. the firm also recently celebrated the topping out of its stacked RAI hotel in amsterdam.

project info:

name: sotheby’s new york headquarters
client: sotheby’s
status: expected completion may 2019; commissioned january 2017
site: 1334 york avenue, new york, NY, USA
program: 92,753 sf gallery, retail and client spaces

lead design architect: OMA
partner-in-charge: shohei shigematsu
associate-in-charge: christy cheng
project architect: jina kim
team: caroline corbett, vincent parlatore, anahita tabrizi, natasha trice, jesse catalano

concept design –
project architect: caroline corbett
team: jina kim, vincent parlatore, timothy ho, jesse catalano

executive architect: beyer blinder belle architects & planners LLP
signage and wayfinding: 2×4
lighting: tillotson design associates
MEP: cosentini associates
structure: robert silman associates structural engineers, DPC
acoustics: cerami & associates, inc
building envelope: heintges & associates
contractor: structuretone
client rep: gardiner & theobald