The Whitney Museum has sold its iconic Breuer Building on Madison Avenue on New York's Upper East Side to Sotheby's, which will move there from its current headquarters on York Avenue starting in 2025.
Designed by Brutalist architect Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966, the historic building was conceived as the third home of the Whitney Museum. (The museum eventually outgrew the building and moved downtown to a new one designed by Renzo Piano in the Meatpacking District in 2015.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art briefly occupied the building, from 2015 to 2020, and called it the Met Breuer (not to be confused with its home on 5th Avenue, just a few blocks north). The Frick Collection took up residence in the building in 2021 to display its collection, while the iconic mansion undergoes renovation. It currently holds a lease until August 2024.
Sotheby's will take over the Breuer in September 2024, before moving in 2025. The auction house plans to “sensitively review the interior spaces and maintain key elements such as the building's impressive lobby,” as the new space will feature updated galleries, exhibition space, and a reimagined auction room. The galleries will be free and open to the public.
Sotheby's will retain ownership of its current headquarters in New York's Lenox Hill neighborhood, where it has been since 1980, for now.
“We are honored to acquire and write the next chapter of such an iconic and well-known New York architectural landmark,” Sotheby's CEO Charles Stewart said in a statement. “We often refer to the provenance of works of art, and in the case of The Breuer, there is no richer history than the museum that housed the Whitney, Metropolitan and Frick collections. The acquisition will further distinguish us as we continue to transform and innovate for our customers.”
Adam Weinberg, outgoing director of the Whitney, added: “The iconic Breuer Building will always be a beloved part of the Whitney’s rich history. We are pleased to continue to serve an artistic and cultural purpose through the display of artwork and artifacts. Most importantly, this architectural masterpiece – thanks to its status in a historic district – will be preserved.”
The acquisition of the building is part of Sotheby's ongoing plan to expand its global presence. The auction house is scheduled to open new sales rooms in Hong Kong and Paris in 2024. This year, Sotheby's will open Gantry Point, a 240,000-square-foot building with state-of-the-art facilities in Long Island City.