FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

S OT H E BY ’ S TO ACQ U I R E T H E I CO N I C B R E U E R B U I L D I N G
FROM THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

C E L E B R AT E D M O D E R N I ST L A N D M A R K TO
S E RV E AS S OT H E BY ’ S F L AG S H I P G A L L E R I E S I N 2 02 5

Exterior of the Breuer Building. Photo by Max Touhey. Credit: Courtesy Sotheby’s

NEW YORK, 1 JUNE 2023 – Sotheby’s today announces plans to acquire the iconic Breuer building from the Whitney
Museum of American Art, relocating its flagship galleries and auction room to the heart of New York’s Upper East
Side alongside the Museum Mile. Designed by Modernist master Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966, the new
flagship located at 945 Madison Avenue will include state-of-the-art gallery and exhibition space to showcase
Sotheby’s full suite of offerings—including a reimagined signature auction room, exhibitions spanning Sotheby’s 71
categories across fine art and luxury, all while maintaining this landmark architectural masterpiece. The Sotheby’s
galleries will be free and open to the public.

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“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. This is a truly unique opportunity to reimagine an
iconic and globally renown architectural landmark in the ideal location, which will further
distinguish us as we continue to transform and innovate for our clients. We look forward to
welcoming collectors to Sotheby’s on Madison Avenue starting in 2025.”
CHARLES F. STEWART, SOTHEBY’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

“The iconic Breuer Building will always be a beloved part of the Whitney’s rich history.
We are pleased that it will continue to serve an artistic and cultural purpose through the
display of artworks and artifacts. Most importantly this architectural masterpiece—thanks
to its status in a landmark district—will be preserved. As the Breuer enters its next chapter,
the Whitney, in its extraordinary Renzo Piano building, with a strengthened endowment—
thanks to the proceeds from the sale—will focus its undivided attention and all of its
energies on forwarding our mission in downtown in the Meatpacking District, where we are
enjoying great success.”
ADAM WEINBERG, ALICE PRATT BROWN DIRECTOR OF THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

The Breuer Building’s landmark façade, facing Madison Avenue.

Photo by Max Touhey. Credit: Courtesy Sotheby’s

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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. In 2024, Sotheby’s will open its new flagship
galleries in Hong Kong and Paris. Sotheby’s new Asia
flagship is a spectacular 24,000 square foot two-story
space located at Landmark Chater in the core of Hong
Kong’s luxury district which will offer year-round events
and experiences, allowing collectors and visitors alike
to enjoy an array of extraordinary objects from across
time and geography. Also in 2024, Sotheby’s will unveil
its new historic home and Parisian headquarters located
at 83, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré on the site of the
Galerie Bernheim Jeune which played a major role in
the history of the 20th-century art market, enabling
Sotheby’s to expand its French exhibition space.
Later this year, Sotheby’s will open Gantry Point
in Long Island City, NY, a 240,000 square foot
facility which will house state-of-the-art operational
facilities to centralize and enhance the handling
of tens of thousands of rare and valuable art and
objects every year with best-in-class logistics and
storage. In the last few years, Sotheby’s has opened
several new galleries including in Palm Beach,
Aspen, Los Angeles, Cologne, Monaco and Shanghai.

“Architecturally significant real estate in prime locations is key to our strategy of

expanding and enhancing our global footprint to meet collectors where they are.
Adding the iconic Breuer building, which is deeply woven into the architectural
landmarks and history of New York, to our global network of marquee locations in
cities like Hong Kong, London, Paris and Cologne advances our mission of promoting
access to exceptional art and extraordinary objects and creates new opportunities to
expand our suite of offerings and signature client experiences.”
JEAN-LUC BERREBI, SOTHEBY’S CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

The lobby of the Breuer Building

Photo by Max Touhey. Credit: Courtesy Sotheby’s

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Sotheby’s will take possession of the Breuer building
in September 2024, at the conclusion of The Frick
Collection’s occupancy during the time frame of the
renovation of The Frick’s permanent home on East
70 th street. Sotheby’s will engage an architect to
sensitively review the internal spaces and maintain
key elements such as the building’s striking lobby.
Located on the corner of Madison Avenue and 75
Street in Manhattan, the epicenter of art on the
Upper East Side, the Breuer building is a Modernist
and, now considered Brutalist, building designed by
Hungarian-born architect Marcel Breuer, completed in
1966 and designed to house the Whitney Museum of
American Art. Since its opening, the Breuer has been
home to some of America’s most prominent cultural
institutions including Whitney Museum of American
Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Frick
Collection. As the third home for The Whitney Museum
of American Art, this iconic structure saw the first of
many Whitney Biennials in 1973, filling the Museum with
works from over 220 artists. Following The Whitney’s
50-year tenure in the space, The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, occupied and programmed the building with
the opening of The Met Breuer in 2015. This era saw
outstanding shows including its inaugural exhibition,
“Unfinished: Thoughts Left Visible,” a show of
artworks left in various states of incompletion, and
the Kerry James Marshall retrospective (2016–2017).
In 2021, The Frick Collection began programming the
building, installing its permanent collection during
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the period of its renovations. The building is currently
known as the Frick Madison. From 2021 – present, the
Breuer building has been home to an unprecedented
and acclaimed installation of masterpieces from
the Frick, shown on three gallery levels in a manner
distinctly different from the museum’s typical
display within its mansion on East 70 th Street.
Sotheby’s will retain ownership of its current global
headquarters at 1334 York Avenue, its home on the
Eastside of Manhattan since 1980, where the company
will continue to present world-class exhibitions and
auctions across all categories there until it opens its
new galleries in the Breuer building in 2025.

SOTHEBY’S COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

KARINA SOKOLOVSKY | KARINA.SOKOLOVSKY@SOTHEBYS.COM | MITZI MINA | MITZI.MINA@SOTHEBYS.COM

DEREK PARSONS | DEREK.PARSONS@SOTHEBYS.COM

About Sotheby’s
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and
luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an
industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and
Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s
believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium or overhead premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and overhead
premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

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