Press Release

For Immediate Release: May 20, 2025
Contact: lpcpressoffice@lpc.nyc.gov, 212-669-7938

LPC Designates the (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art as an Individual and Interior Landmark

Brutalist-Style Building Is an Enduring Emblem of Modern Architecture Designed by Pioneering Architect Marcel Breuer 

Originally Home to the Whitney Museum of American Art, Site Is Now Set to Become Sotheby’s Global Headquarters

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously to designate the (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art, located at 945 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, as both an individual and interior landmark. Designed by pioneering architect Marcel Breuer and Associates, the Brutalist-style building is an enduring emblem of modern urban architecture that served as home to the Whitney Museum of American Art from the time of its construction in 1966 until 2014.

“The (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art building and its unique interior are remarkable examples of the Brutalist style of modern architecture and represent a powerful testament to New York City’s role as a global center of innovative design,” said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll. “Today’s designation honors Marcel Breuer’s groundbreaking vision and ensures that this architectural icon will continue to serve as a premier showcase for world-class art, and be preserved and protected for generations to come.”

“The original Whitney Museum building is an iconic, entirely unique piece of the New York City landscape,” said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. “The building is a cherished part of the history of our city, and its role in housing the great artists of our time is what contributes to its new landmark status. I’m proud to say the Upper East Side has such a stunning new landmark for all to enjoy.”

“We fully endorse the landmark designation, as reflected in our initial plans for the building,” said Steven Wrightson, Sotheby's Global Head of Real Estate. “We look forward to welcoming the public back and honoring the Breuer’s enduring legacy as we usher in a new chapter of Sotheby’s.”

The design of the (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art building was largely shaped by the constraints of the site on which it was constructed: located at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 75th on a lot that measured just 110 feet by 125 feet, the relatively small parcel of land required an innovative approach to space planning. Breuer joined the project after the site was selected, ultimately settling on an inverted pyramid form for the design in which each level is slightly larger than the one upon which it rests, creating a stepped cantilever on the primary façade that maximizes interior space.

The building’s heavy masonry projects a sense of solidity and permanence yet appears to float above a ground story clad in transparent glass, revealing open floorplans ornamented with cast concrete furnishings and a ceiling studded with modern lighting. The result is a bold, iconoclastic structure that stands in stark contrast with the 19th century row houses that surround it as part of the Upper East Side Historic District.

When the (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art building was completed in 1966, it was the first new museum constructed in Manhattan since the Guggenheim opened in 1959, and the first dedicated exclusively to American art. The Whitney Museum relocated to a new building in downtown Manhattan in 2014, after which, 945 Madison Avenue temporarily housed collections from the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art and served as an interim site for the Frick Collection during renovations of their permanent home on 5th Avenue and East 70th Street. In 2023, the building was acquired by Sotheby’s and it is currently undergoing renovations to restore and adapt the site for its new use as the auction house’s new global headquarters, work that was approved by LPC.

The building was designated as part of the Upper East Side Historic District in 1981, and any changes to its exterior have been regulated by LPC since that time. As a result of today’s designation, sections of its interior, including the lobby and main stairwell, will now also be protected under the Landmarks Law.

The building’s pioneering architect, Marcel Breuer, trained as a carpenter at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany between the World Wars, and was a leading innovator in furniture design during the first decade of his career, in which he designed pieces that are still in production today, including the Wassily Chair. Breuer immigrated to the United States in 1937 to join his mentor Walter Gropius at Harvard University, and their partnership would go on to greatly influence a group of other young architects and, by extension, the course of modern American architecture.

Breuer's daring designs reflect his life-long interest in the direct expression of materials. He became known for his work with concrete, preferring to leave the surfaces of his designs bare and allowing the color and texture of the raw concrete to define his aesthetic – an approach that became associated with Brutalism, a style of architecture that became popular in the 1950s.

In addition to the (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art building, Breuer’s other well-known designs include UNESCO Headquarters (1958) in Paris, France and Begrisch Hall (1961), located on the Bronx Community College campus (formerly New York University’s uptown campus), which was designated as an individual landmark in 2002. 

Images:

Designation photos of the (Former) Whitney Museum of American Art individual and interior landmark can be found here: https://app.box.com/s/2le0ulj27ga275iwi7oqvazl77x2gl1u

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About the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the mayoral agency responsible for protecting and preserving New York City’s architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites. Since its creation in 1965, LPC has granted landmark status to more than 38,000 buildings and sites, including 1,465 individual landmarks, 125 interior landmarks, 12 scenic landmarks, and 157 historic districts and extensions in all five boroughs. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/landmarks and connect with us at www.facebook.com/NYCLandmarks, www.instagram.com/nyc.landmarks/ and www.x.com/nyclandmarks .