the breuer building
so you’ve found yourself lost again
the years are behind you. a sense of place, or the thrill. fifth, empire, the reach. everlasting, slowly fading. hooray for the glitter and the glamour
and what has been carved out of flesh and concrete? to stake a claim in name or vision, the search for meaning. and now you’re caught
distraction, it’s the rows and rows and rows and rows. you stand with pride, without belonging. or has it always been there waiting
go ahead; it’s your turn
this is the story of the brutalist building located at 945 madison avenue in new york city’s upper east side. it’s a structure with a complex past, and its future seems all but written. it has character, grit, a loyal following, but above all, a deserved standing among the architectural giants of the city around it. will it succumb to a destiny imposed by someone else, or will it forge a path forward as an architectural wonder in and of itself
this is the story of the breuer building
the history of the breuer building: a timeline
to truly understand what the breuer building is and its place in new york city’s architectural scene, we must first begin by understanding its history. since it was built in 1966, the building has had four owners, each contributing differently to its function, and, ultimately, its identity
the whitney museum of american art (1963-2014)
in 1963, the whitney museum of american art in new york city begins the search for an architect to design a building for its latest expansion on a newly purchased plot of land in manhattan’s upper east side. hungarian-born modernist architect marcel breuer wins the bid
in 1966, work is completed on the whitney’s third and newest home — located on the corner of 75th street and madison avenue — and the museum opens to the public
the building operates as a museum under the whitney flag until 2014, when the owners decide to move to their newest location in the meatpacking district
the met breuer (2014-2020)
when the whitney vacates 945 madison avenue in 2014, the metropolitan museum of art (the met) begins leasing the brutalist building and closes its doors for renovation
the museum renames the building the met breuer after its architect, a name that will perhaps become its most common association
the met breuer officially opens on march 16, 2016
in 2018, the met decides to move out of the building early, opting to not run the course of its $17-million-a-year lease, which lasted until 2023. the met then enters an agreement with the frick museum for the latter to take over 945 madison ave’s lease in 2020 for the remainder of its duration
frick madison (2020-2024)
as planned, the frick museum obtains the keys to the building formerly known as the met breuer in 2020 and closes its doors as the frick undergoes renovations and an expansion in its original location
the frick madison residency at 945 madison avenue opens and operates from march 18, 2021 until march 3, 2024, showcasing highlights from its permanent collection in its new, temporary digs
in 2023, the whitney — who still owns the building — agrees to sell the breuer building outright to sotheby’s for a reported $100 million
sotheby’s (2024-present)
on november 4, 2024, sotheby’s announces the completion of its purchase of the building located at 945 madison ave and chooses architects herzog & de meuron, who will work with new york-based pbdw architects, to lead its redesign
completion of the building’s renovations is slated for fall 2025
this marks the first time the breuer building is not owned by an institution
the architecture of the breuer building
it’s impossible to ignore 945 madison avenue
a massive block of concrete, it defies the architecture of brick and brownstone that otherwise typically adorns the upper east side. an upside-down pyramid, it dares to ask what a building can be in a city of unfathomable architectural progression, even when dwarfed by the city’s sky-scraping feats. a fortress designed to protect the riches inside its walls, its main polygonal window pokes out into the street as the distinguishable beacon that, even as the building begins to blend into its surroundings the farther along madison avenue you walk away from it, reminds the city that the otherwise bunker-like structure not just exists, but has a place within it
the breuer building’s design
the building formerly known as the met breuer sits on a 104x125 foot lot on the corner of madison avenue and 75th street in new york city’s upper east side
this brutalist masterpiece is a concrete, zigurrat-like building with a distinguishable footbridge that connects madison avenue to its main entrance and floats above a sunken courtyard. the 76,830-square-foot building itself is composed of over 1400 granite slabs — each weighing over 400 pounds — that are wrapped in concrete. the façade features the solitary, trapezoidal window that lends the building an iconic appearance. this window sits directly above the main entrance on the highest “step” of the pyramid. the side of the building that runs parallel to 75th street is marked by six more windows that are smaller in size but just as peculiar in their shape
according to the metropolitan museum of art, when marcel breuer sought to win the bid to design the whitney’s new building in 1963, he posed the following question: “what should a museum look like, a museum in manhattan”
nycurbanism adds some more color to this commentary by stating that breuer didn’t want the building to look like “a business or office” or even a “place of light entertainment”
it’s clear that breuer wanted to design a museum whose architecture matched the building’s primary function: housing art. this is evident in the giant, rectangular concrete wall attached to the building on its right side. the met states that breuer designed this wall as a dividing marker between the museum and its neighbors as a way of protecting the art inside. and indeed, the wall juts out a bit past the main entrance from the south side, while 75th street and madison avenue act as the building’s other two borders
nycurbanism claims that breuer didn’t even want windows for his building, instead opting for artificial lighting to better suit the artwork on display. however, the windows he did eventually design are angled in a way so as to control the way sunlight shines inside, per the met. they also add a kind of texture to the otherwise smooth lines of both the building’s surface and its design
the breuer consists of five main levels: the lobby and a loading dock on the first floor; three galleries that make up levels two to four; and the fifth, where a gallery and some workspaces share the floor. the small sixth and seventh levels on the roof are allotted to mechanical spaces. there’s a basement level where the museum restaurant was located, and a secondary basement below it that’s used as storage
sotheby’s, which is currently located in the upper east side on 72nd street and york avenue has said the building will “host state-of-the-art gallery spaces and exhibitions,” in addition to an auction room, as well as, presumably, offices. beyond that, it’s not yet known exactly how sotheby’s will make use of the space
materials and construction
breuer himself touched on the idea of the identity of architecture with his vision for the then-whitney museum, stating that “its form and material should have its own identity and weight in the neighborhood of fifty-story skyscrapers… in the midst of a dynamic jungle of our colorful city”
the exterior concrete is matched by that of the interior, where coffered concrete — a pattern not uncommon in brutalist architecture — forms the ceiling on the upper floors. bush-hammered concrete forms the lobby walls, whereas the vestibule features board-form concrete. the material is further found as finishes on the staircase. breuer also chose to use terrazzo, the polished composite material set in concrete and oftentimes used as flooring, as part of the interior materials
three hundred and seventy -five lights make up the breuer building’s famed lobby. the stair banisters are of teak and blackened brass; the stairwell in its entirety also makes use of steel, stone, and bronze. the clock on the wall is housed in custom-cast concrete. there’s obsidian found mixed within the concrete walls, apparently used to reflect light — a masterstroke by the architect that breathes life into the modernist structure
the result is a building that is as beautiful as it is functional. all of the former museum’s small details and its grand lobby remind us that an architect’s influence also extends into the inside of a building, and that building interiors can oftentimes be works of art in their own right
what should a museum look like
a museum in manhattan
945 madison’s (many) renovations
as it stands now, breuer’s building is the sum of its parts — or rather, the sum of its renovations. the changes it has gone through since its inception play a key part in its search for its identity. after all, how can it make a name for itself when each of its owners propels the building towards their own vision of the future, even if that future is as short-lived as it has recently been? in any case, the alterations have been made — and will continue to be made — so we must accept the breuer building as it is until it can fully claim sovereignty over itself, if ever
here’s a brief breakdown of the renovations and alterations each of the breuer’s buildings owners have made after the whitney’s original commission:
the metropolitan museum of art: replaced all lightbulbs in the lobby to LED lights. removed detritus from the walls after years of build-up. opened up the space for better pedestrian flow. modernized its infrastructure while allowing the artwork to remain the central focus
the frick museum: created a gallery space in a way that allowed for both an “intimate encounter” with the art and “direct access” through the lack of vitrines and stanchions
sotheby’s: proposed changes include: adding a bronze plate to the underside of the entrance canopy; adding a freight elevator that runs through the building and a new elevator bulkhead to the roof in order to accommodate it; and adding a branded vitrine and signage at the entrance
the breuer building: a case for the landmarking of buildings and their interiors
landmark designation in new york city is given on “historical, cultural, or aesthetic value” merit as decided upon by the landmark preservation commission (lpc). landmark status means that “any alteration, reconstruction, demolition or new construction affecting the designated building” has to be approved in advance by the lpc, per the city’s official website. a building can also be landmarked by its location within a historic district, which is defined by the city as a “collection of buildings that together create a distinct sense of place”
it is not often, however, that the interior of a building gets designated landmark status in new york city. according to curbed magazine, only 123 interiors have been granted this protection as of 2025
the breuer building at 945 madison avenue is a designated landmark, but only as part of the upper east side historic district, which was granted protection in 1981. the former art museum does not currently have status as a new york city individual landmark. moreover, its lobby has not yet been designated as an interior landmark
when sotheby’s purchased the breuer building in december 2023, docomomo us and its new york tri-state chapter — a non-profit that seeks to preserve modern architecture — submitted a “request for evaluation for the interiors” of the breuer building. a year later, the lpc voted to “calendar the former whitney museum for both individual and an interior landmark designation.” this marks an official possibility for the breuer building to have individual protection outright. according to docomomo, a public hearing to decide whether the designations go through is expected in the first half of 2025
sotheby’s announced its proposed alterations to the breuer building as a “sensitive adaptation” to the existing building. interestingly, justin davidson of curbed warned that this work might not be exactly that since sotheby’s hired herzog & de meuron, a basel-based firm who, according to the writer, is known for its “degree of showmanship”
one of sotheby’s proposed changes is the addition of a bronze plate to the underside of the entrance canopy that connects the building to the street. friends of the upper east side, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the architecture of the new york neighborhood, has voiced its objection towards this change. they state that the canopy, as-is, is key for breuer’s original vision for the building’s entry. additionally, the under-canopy has “a beautiful patina that is integral to breuer’s design”
the fight for the preservation of the breuer building and its interior, in combination with all of the conversation surrounding it and the building’s transition to its new ownership, highlights not only the historical significance of the building, but that of new york city’s architecture at large, as well as its need for protection and the impact that architecture can have on local communities
the future of breuer’s building
only time will tell how much the breuer building will evolve as part of sotheby’s — or given its track record, just how long it will last under this ownership
for now, the auction house plans to move into the 945 madison location and turn it into its new york headquarters. the company has stated that it plans to host galleries and exhibitions that are open to the public, in which visitors are invited to see art before it gets sold and/or it changes hands. on an interesting note, patch reports that patrick drahi, the owner of sotheby’s, has a private art collection worth “about $750 million euros.” whether any space within the breuer building will be allotted to showcasing any part of this collection — like carlos slim does with the soumaya museum — will be revealed in the coming months
the many tenants of the breuer building reinforce the notion that it has yet to carve out an identity of its own. the small-but-mighty structure of stone and concrete is becoming more of a relic with each passing day, a testament to the prowess of modernism in a city that’s now glassy, skinny, or both
so, how can the breuer building find itself? it’s hard to say under a constant change of ownership. maybe the key lies in first recognizing the building as an individual contributor to the rich architectural tapestry of new york city, as docomomo and friends of the ues are attempting to achieve. maybe then we can ask ourselves just what the breuer building can ultimately be
architect robert a.m. stern brings forth an interesting idea, per newyorkmag: let the building be a museum of architecture. why shouldn’t we? it’s already been a museum — three, in fact. and as the magazine points out, the city is due for a museum space exclusively dedicated to architecture
but do we really have to try so hard to define its purpose? the answer is the building itself. jerry saltz, senior art critic at newyorkmag, has expressed his lament that the breuer building will become an auction house. he’s right; it’s an outcome (and reality) that’s the antithesis of the building’s original, utilitarian purpose. even breuer himself said, when communicating his vision for the museum, that it should “transform the vitality of the street into the sincerity and profundity of art." in designing a structure to showcase art, breuer successfully created a piece of art in and of itself
let’s let it be that. under sotheby’s, the future of 945 madison avenue is set in stone, until further notice. only time will tell if the brutalist icon will manage to make a name for itself, but we have to give it the opportunity to do so
until then, long live the breuer building
photos of the breuer building
click on each image to see an enlarged version as originally shot
click on each image to see an enlarged version as originally shot
