Sotheby’s Breuer Building
New York, NY | 78,234 SF | 2025 (Auction House) 2026 (Restaurant)
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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.
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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
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