New York, USA 2025
The name Sotheby’s is synonymous with fine art and luxury goods. One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious auction houses, it was founded in 1744 in London by bookseller Samuel Baker. Initially specializing in rare books and manuscripts, Sotheby’s has evolved into an institution that continues to shape the global art market today.
Display Exhibition Designer
Herzog & de Meuron, Roman & Williams
During the mid-20th-century boom in art auctions, Sotheby’s established a permanent base in New York. This spearheaded a period of expansion that saw the venerable auction house’s name go truly international. New offices were established in territories including Hong Kong, Russia, India, and eventually China. Today, the company manages Today, the company operates across auctions, private sales, exhibitions, and retail, generating billions in annual sales.
In 2025, Goppion was commissioned to work simultaneously on two projects at Sotheby’s, as part of a major program to renovate the Breuer Building on Madison Avenue. Formerly home to the Whitney Museum of American Art, it was later adopted as a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and most recently housed the Frick Collection.
Now, this New York City landmark has been transformed once more as Sotheby’s new global headquarters.
Phase 1: The Galleries
Our remit for the retail area in one of the new galleries comprised design and build of four Q Class showcases for changing displays.
Goppion’s approach here was closely attuned to the ethos of the project’s architects, Pritzker-winning Herzog & de Meuron, which emphasizes adapting and reusing existing structures to preserve building integrity. Two of our display cases repurposed concrete ‘benches’– original architectural features that were formerly used for seating. We converted both benches into bases for the display cases: one sits on a counter top and the second is a hybrid wall mount positioned on a ledge bench.
All of our display cases were carefully integrated as part of the building’s interior architecture, but installed without permanent connections to the building, which prevents any damage to the architectural fabric.
The Goppion team engineered large glass panels for the display cases, and other parts were assembled on site in order to save time, which was essential for a project with such a short development and delivery period.
Phase 2: The Restaurant
In parallel with the new galleries, Goppion also worked on Marcel, a new fine dining restaurant at Sotheby’s, which opened later in spring 2026. Our collaboration here with architecture and design studio Roman & Williams took the integration of art and hospitality as an organizing principle.
Image © Rich Stapleton
Goppion provided 16 display cases and five free-standing pedestals. Four of the display cases are wall-standing models with plinths, and the others are all free-standing cases, including seven that are table designs.
Marcel is so-named after the building’s principal architect, Bauhaus-schooled Marcel Breuer. Yet the restaurant has a markedly different ambience to the Brutalist architecture that has made the building such a famous Manhattan landmark. Guests descend to the lower levels and encounter a contrasting environment of warm walnut-paneling, candlelight, and a view of the sculpture garden outside.
The carefully curated integration of artworks also contributes to the identity of the restaurant space. A rotating selection on display includes design objects in vitrines, and fine art on the walls. Together, their presence enhances and integrates an environment of culture and commerce, in a celebration of ‘the art of dining’.
Both phases of the Sotheby’s project show Goppion working to some of our core strengths. Among these are providing high-quality display solutions that integrate seamlessly as part of the sympathetic renewal and repurposing of heritage buildings. The Breuer building’s museum-quality legacy space is a perfect example of this.
Along with the restaurant, it also demonstrates how heritage, hospitality and retail – when reimagined and integrated with care and respect – can create highly rewarding, unique visitor experiences.
Gallery
