Sotheby’s purchased the iconic former Whitney Museum of American Art, designed by renowned Brutalist architect Marcel Breuer in 1966, with a vision to elevate the experience of viewing and procuring art.  Serving as both executive and preservation architect, PBDW partnered with Herzog & deMeuron on the renovation, a careful recalibration of Breuer’s design that preserves the building’s architectural integrity while preparing it to function as a global auction house.

In addition to faithfully restoring the building’s significant historic spaces such as the lobby, galleries and public stair, the project introduces appropriate new elements and adapts existing elements to suit the building’s new use as an auction house.  The extant freight elevator, which connected only the ground and basement levels, is replaced with a new back-of-house freight elevator serving all floors.  This allows for frequent, rapid turnover of exhibits, as is required for an auction house, without impacting front-of-house operations.  The extant lobby coat check counter and bench are repurposed to host vitrines for display of artifacts, and a new, fully reversable method of hanging art on Breuer’s architectural concrete walls was devised.  Galleries on the 2nd and 4th Floors are outfitted with infrastructure to facilitate regular conversion into public auction rooms.  Lighting and climate systems are updated throughout.

The project also introduces a fine dining establishment on the lower level, encompassing the original café space and outdoor sculpture garden.  Designed and operated by Roman & Williams, with PBDW serving as architect of record, the new restaurant, Marcel, invigorates the building’s street presence and serves as a destination in its own right, while steeping its patrons in the important art and artifacts on offer through Sotheby’s.

Although our original design approach was highly respectful of Breuer’s vision, the building did not receive landmark designation until midway through the design process.  Much to their credit, Sotheby’s embraced the designation, and PBDW worked hand-in-hand with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to ensure that all interventions were both necessary and appropriate.  The results have been universally lauded, receiving numerous public accolades and awards from preservation groups.

Sotheby’s vision and renovation of the Breuer have increased public awareness and extended the vitality of this important public treasure, Sotheby’s is open to the public seven days per week, and admission is free.

Executive and Preservation Architect: PBDW Architects

(Main Project: James Seger - PIC, Brigitte Cook- PM, Spencer Scherer - PA, Brooke Collaer - PA, Katrina Andrzejewski)

(Restaurant: Matthew Mueller - PIC, Tory Cuddy - PM, Brooke Collaer - PA, Taryn Cook, Imogen Gentles)

Design Consultant: Herzog & de Meuron Basel, Ltd.

Restaurant Designer: Roman & Williams

Structural Engineer: TYLin

MEP/FP Engineers: AMA Group

Lighting Designer: Tillotson Design Associates

AV, IT, Security & Communications: CMTA

Acoustical: Eligator Acoustics

Elevator: DTM

Code/Expediting Consultant: Gillman

Specifications: CSI/Milrose

Photographer: Michael Biondo

Once Hated, Now Loved, a Brutalist Behemoth Gets a Makeover, The New York Times, November 2025

herzog & de meuron-restored breuer building opens as sotheby’s HQ in new york, designboom, November 2025

Herzog & de Meuron transforms Breuer Building into Sotheby's Manhattan headquarters, dezeen, November 2025

You Should Really See the Lightbulbs at Sotheby’s Breuer Building, Curbed, November 2025

Madison Ave Gets New Luxury Store: Sotheby’s, Hyperallergic, November 2025

Herzog & de Meuron Restore Marcel Breuer’s Brutalist Icon in New York City, Parametric Architecture, November 2025

Sotheby’s Adapts a Marcel Breuer Icon Into the Auction House of Tomorrow, Architectural Digest, August 2025

Herzog & de Meuron with PBDW Architects reworks the Breuer Building for Sotheby’s with a light touch, The Architect’s Newspaper, November 2025

How Sotheby’s Turned a Museum Into an Auction House, The Wall Street Journal, November 2025

Sotheby’s will open its new Breuer building HQ in New York on November 8th, Artsy, August 2025

Sotheby’s offers peek at Breuer building’s makeover, The Art Newspaper, June 2025

Inside Sotheby’s Breuer Building at 945 Madison Avenue, Galerie, November 2025

New York's iconic Breuer Building is now Sotheby's global headquarters. Here's a first look, Wallpaper*, November 2025

Sotheby’s Has Set a Debut Date for Its Landmark Breuer Building Headquarters, Observer, August 2025

What Happens When the Old Whitney Building Becomes a Sotheby’s, Bloomberg, November 2025

Sotheby’s Reveals Its Plans for New York’s Landmark Breuer Building, Elle Decor, August 2025

Inside the Sotheby’s Takeover of the Breuer Building, Vanity Fair, November 2025

Sotheby’s bid to turn an architectural destination into destiny, Fast Company, November 2025

Sotheby's Opens in the Former Whitney, World-Architects, November 2025

Now home to Sotheby’s, the Breuer building remains a brutalist masterpiece, Financial Times, November 2025