The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated the former home of the Whitney Museum at 945 Madison Avenue as both an individual and interior landmark. The building, designed by Marcel Breuer and completed in 1966, is now protected for its historical significance.
The building has been acclaimed for its unusual form: it resembles an inverted ziggurat, and has a raw concrete interior and distinctive cantilevering. Initially constructed to house the Whitney’s collection of American art, the structure was vacated when the museum moved downtown in 2015. Since then, the Metropolitan Museum of Art used has used it as a contemporary art annex, and the Frick Collection has utilized as a temporary home while undergoing a renovation.
Sotheby’s acquired the building in 2023, and has plans to relocate its global headquarters to the site. Renovations are currently underway, led by the architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron. The plan required prior approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC).
Shortly after Sotheby’s announced the acquisition of the building, preservationist groups officially submitted a lengthly request to the landmark commission for the designation to be approved. Some preservationists expressed concern about the site’s vulnerability to changes amid a commercial takeover.
The designation provides legal protections for the building’s exterior, which has been part of the Upper East Side Historic District since 1981, as well as some of its interior elements, including its lobby and main staircase. The landmark status means that any future alterations will require the commission’s approval.
In a statement, LPC chair Sarah Carroll said the designation is a mutual win for preservationists and officials seeking to maintain parts of the city’s history. Carroll called the recognition a “testament to New York City’s role as a global center of innovative design.”
