945 Madison Avenue information

945 Madison Avenue
The building in 2019, as the Met Breuer
Former names	Met Breuer, Whitney Museum of American Art
Alternative names	Frick Madison, Breuer Building
General information
Architectural style	Brutalist, Modernist
Address	945 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates	40°46′24″N 73°57′50″W / 40.7734°N 73.9638°W / 40.7734; -73.9638
Groundbreaking	October 20, 1964
Opened	September 28, 1966
Owner	Whitney Museum of American Art
Management	Frick Collection
Technical details
Floor count	7 (5 above-ground)
Floor area	76,830 sq ft (7,138 m2)
Grounds	13,000 sq ft (1,200 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Marcel Breuer & Associates
Structural engineer	Paul Weidlinger
Main contractor	HRH Construction Corp.
Other information
Public transit access	Subway: ​ at 77th Street Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M79 SBS
Interactive map
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	September 12, 2006
Part of	Upper East Side Historic District boundary increase
Reference no.	06000822
New York State Register of Historic Places
Designated	June 23, 1980[1]
New York City Landmark
Designated	May 19, 1981
Part of	Upper East Side Historic District
Reference no.	1051

945 Madison Avenue, also known as the Breuer Building, is a museum building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. The Marcel Breuer-designed structure was built to house the Whitney Museum of American Art; it subsequently held a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and from 2021 to March 2024 was the temporary quarters of the Frick Collection while the Henry Clay Frick House was being renovated. 945 Madison Avenue will next become headquarters to the international auction house Sotheby's.

The building resides on a 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m²) site at Madison Avenue and 75th Street that was once occupied by six 1880s rowhouses. The structure and surrounding buildings contribute to the Upper East Side Historic District, a New York City and national historic district. The building is usually described as part of the Modernist art and architecture movement, and is often described as part of the narrower Brutalist style. The structure has exterior faces of variegated granite and exposed concrete and makes use of stark angular shapes, including cantilevered floors progressively extending atop its entryway, resembling an inverted ziggurat. The design was controversial, though lauded by notable architecture critics at its opening and the building defined the Whitney Museum's image for nearly 50 years, influencing subsequent projects such as the Cleveland Museum of Art's north wing and Atlanta's Central Library. Breuer's design also impacted the new Whitney Museum in Lower Manhattan by Renzo Piano, with both buildings featuring cantilevering floor plates and oversized elevators.

Ideas for the building began in the 1960s, when the Whitney Museum expanded its board and sought a new building three times the size of its existing facility, aiming to match the prominence of other major city museums. Marcel Breuer was chosen to design the assertive and experimental building, which would become the museum's third and potentially first permanent home, significantly increasing its space and amenities. Breuer and Hamilton P. Smith served as primary architects, with Michael H. Irving as the consulting architect and Paul Weidlinger as the structural engineer. 945 Madison Avenue was among Breuer's most important works, and his most major in New York City. It also was his first museum commission, first commission in Manhattan, and is his sole remaining work in Manhattan.

The museum building was built from 1964 to 1966 as the third home for the Whitney. The Whitney moved out in 2014, after nearly 50 years in the building. During these decades, the surrounding area evolved from an elegant residential neighborhood to an upscale commercial hub. In 2016, the museum building was leased to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and became the Met Breuer; the new museum contributed to the neighborhood's transformation. The Met branch closed in 2020 amid low attendance, high expenses, and mixed reviews. From 2021 to March 2024, the building became the Frick Madison, the temporary home of the Frick Collection while the Henry Clay Frick House underwent renovation. In 2023, auction house Sotheby's agreed to purchase the building and establish its headquarters there, including its auction room and gallery and exhibition space.