WITH THE HELP OF HERZOG & DE MEURON, SOTHEBY'S ADAPTS A MARCEL BREUER LANDMARK IN NEW YORK INTO THE AUCTION HOUSE OF TOMORROW.

There are landmarks the public instantly adore and others to which their eyes and hearts must adjust.

- TEXT: SAM COCHRAN PHOTOS: STEFAN RUIZ

Take Marcel Breuer's design for the Whitney Museum of American Art. When it first opened in 1966, architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable—though notably a fan herself—called it “the most disliked building in New York”. But tastes evolve and in no time the city rightfully embraced this Brutalist marvel, later watching with protective anticipation as the Whitney's move downtown made way for The Met Breuer followed by The Frick Collection's temporary but transcendent residency. Today, the building awaits its next chapter as the Big Apple headquarters of Sotheby's, opening in November. To realise what company CEO Charles Stewart calls a “reawakening” or “reactivation” of Breuer's vision, the auction house enlisted Herzog & de Meuron, a practice known for its cerebral approach and light touch. “Like all architects, we have always admired the Breuer building,” notes firm partner Wim Walschap, who oversaw the renovation. “We started with excitement as well as with respect for the original architecture.” The question, as he posed it, was how to make Breuer's design ready for the unique needs