Sotheby's has revealed that Pritzker Prize laureate Herzog & de Meuron will renovate the iconic modernist Breuer Building. The auction house has successfully acquired the building, situated on Madison Avenue, New York City, from the Whitney Museum. Previously, the Breuer building was home to the Whitney, later accommodating the Frick Collection and serving as a venue for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's modern and contemporary pieces. The renovation will include an upgraded sales room for Sotheby's, alongside new exhibition and dining areas. The project, developed together with PBDW Architects, is slated for completion by the fall of 2025.
Herzog & de Meuron, based in Basel, Switzerland, is collaborating with PBDW Architects from New York on the design of the project. This involves the five-story building on Madison Avenue, originally designed by Bauhaus-trained architect Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966. Located within a landmark district, the building's exterior enjoys protected status, although it lacks individual landmark designation, and its interior does not have protection.
In December, Docomomo US/New York Tri-State, dedicated to the preservation of modern architecture, filed a request with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to seek interior landmark status for the Breuer building, according to the New York Times. They highlighted that the building, for the first time, would not be serving as a museum or be occupied by an institution. In February, the commission responded, acknowledging that the primary public interiors, such as the lobby, lower level, and main stairway, might merit interior landmark consideration but emphasized the need for further study to assess additional areas.
Related Article
Marcel Breuer's Iconic Brutalist Building is being Transformed into an Eco-friendly Boutique HotelSimilar to our work on the Park Avenue Armory project, we will be approaching the Breuer project with excitement and with respect for its original vision. By reviving lost spaces, carefully inserting new ones and making other subtle interventions with a considered palette of materials, the building will be prepared for its new role in the auction world—and will also be more accessible again for visitors and the people of New York. - Jacques Herzog
Sotheby's CEO, Charles F. Stewart, emphasized the commitment to preserving the beloved features of the Breuer building, including its lobby, without altering the exterior. Calling it "a museum masterpiece," Stewart promised careful adaptation akin to handling a great art piece. Sotheby's will maintain its York Avenue headquarters.
In other similar news, Paul Rudolph's iconic Brutalist Government Service Center in Boston is being proposed for a transformation into a mixed-use housing development, reflecting a trend of adapting historic structures for modern purposes. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Foster + Partners have completed the long-anticipated renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid.
