Herzog & de Meuron is transforming the Breuer Building into the new global headquarters for Sotheby's, set to open in late 2025. The restoration retains key elements of the building’s original design while modernizing infrastructure for enhanced accessibility and visitor engagement. Key structural features, including bush-hammered concrete and mahogany finishes, will be preserved. The project aims to integrate new components, such as an elevator and updated lighting, with the building's historical character. Sotheby's will provide free public access to the building for the first time, continuing its legacy as a cultural institution.
The restoration embraces a 'light-touch' approach, retaining Breuer's original materials and spatial intentions while updating infrastructure to improve accessibility, curatorial flexibility, and the visitor experience.
New interventions, such as a discreetly inserted elevator and revamped lighting systems, prepare the building for diverse programming.
Now, nearly 60 years later, Sotheby's takes over as steward of the building's next phase, preserving its cultural role while offering free public access for the first time in its history.
The project embraces the contradictions of the building, retaining the severe materiality of the lobby, including bronze, concrete, and wood finishes, but now integrates vitrines and display counters in dialogue with Breuer's original benches.
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