The famous Breuer Building is going to be acquired by established auction house Sotheby's, it has just been announced in New York. The celebrated landmark of modernist architecture is set to become the home of the auction house by 2025.
'The acquisition of the Breuer building is an ongoing part of Sotheby’s strategy to grow and enhance its global footprint in order to better serve existing and new collectors across its wide range of collecting categories,' write Sotheby's representatives.
The Breuer Building: a history
The Breuer Building was designed by modernist master Marcel Breuer. It was completed in 1966 and its brutalist architecture facade has become visual shorthand for arts in the city. It has, till now, belonged to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Located at the corner of Madison Avenue and 75th Street, the structure is well known for its inverted ziggurat shape.
'We are honored to acquire and write the next chapter of such an iconic and well-known New York architectural landmark. We often refer to the provenance of artwork, and in the case of The Breuer, there is no history richer than the museum which has housed the Whitney, Metropolitan and Frick collections,' said Sotheby’s CEO Charles Stewart.
The Breuer Building: the future
Sotheby's plans for the Breuer are to turn it into a state-of-the-art gallery and exhibition space. It will serve as a showcase for the auction house's wide range of offerings, and will eventually include 'a reimagined signature auction room, exhibitions spanning Sotheby’s 71 categories across fine art and luxury.' Sotheby's plans also promise that the icon's original intention and nature will be preserved.
Once Sotheby's moves in, the building will be free and open to all visit.
-
Tangerine shapes the trains for Japan’s longest Shinkansen line, due in service in 2030The UK-based consultancy has created the interiors and livery of the East Japan Railway Company's new E10 Shinkansen trains
-
‘Azzedine Alaïa - Thierry Mugler’: new Paris exhibition puts two fashion greats in conversation‘Azzedine Alaïa - Thierry Mugler’ at Fondation Azzedine Alaïa explores the affinity and friendship between two designers who redefined 1980s and 1990s fashion. Curator Olivier Saillard tells Wallpaper* about the unique show
-
Meditations on Can Lis: Ferm Living unveils designs inspired by Jørn Utzon’s Mallorcan homeFerm Living’s S/S 2025 collection of furniture and home accessories balances Danish rationality with the elemental textures of Mallorcan craft
-
Modernist churches: we give praise for the genre’s concrete geometriesModernist churches offer awe and architectural inspiration, blending concrete geometries with spiritual reverence; we take a tour
-
NYC's The New Museum announces an OMA-designed extensionOMA partners including Rem Koolhas and Shohei Shigematsu are designing a new building for Manhattan's only dedicated contemporary art museum
-
The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listingThe daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
-
Explore the Perry Estate, a lesser-known Arthur Erickson project in CanadaThe Perry estate – a residence and studio built for sculptor Frank Perry and often visited by his friend Bill Reid – is now on the market in North Vancouver
-
Take a deep dive into The Palm Springs School ahead of the region’s Modernism WeekNew book ‘The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975’ is the ultimate guide to exploring the midcentury gems of California, during Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025 and beyond
-
Meet Minnette de Silva, the trailblazing Sri Lankan modernist architectSri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva is celebrated in a new book by author Anooradha Iyer Siddiq, who looks into the modernist's work at the intersection of ecology, heritage and craftsmanship
-
Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025: let the desert architecture party beginPalm Springs Modernism Week 2025 launches on 13 February, marking the popular annual desert event’s 20th anniversary, celebrated this year through more midcentury marvels than ever
-
A light-filled New York loft renovation magics up extra space in a deceptively sized homeThis New York loft renovation by local practice BOND is now a warm and welcoming apartment that feels more spacious than it actually is
