Marcel Breuer’s HUD headquarters may be in jeopardy, but folks who adore the the Hungarian emigre’s most famous New York work now have good reason to celebrate. The former Whitney Museum of American Art, completed by Marcel Breuer and Associates in 1966, was unanimously designated an individual and interior landmark today by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Now, both the former Whitney Museum of American Art’s exterior and its interior are protected under the Landmarks Law—a major preservation win. The LPC also recently designated Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building Apartment Duplex an interior landmark. The LPC recognized the interiors as emblematic of the 1960s, when Brutalism was in vogue. (Courtesy NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission) The Whitney Museum of American Art was renamed the Met Breuer in 2016, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art took it over. Sotheby’s acquired 945 Madison Avenue in 2023, and subsequently brought on Herzog & de Meuron to renovate the place. The “sensitive adaptation and renovation,” Sotheby’s said in 2024, will deliver new world class gallery space for displaying the auction house’s “full suite of offerings.” Today’s landmark designation by LPC had the support of Sotheby’s. “We fully endorse the landmark designation, as reflected in our initial plans for the building,” Sotheby’s Global Head of Real Estate Steven Wrightson said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming the public back and honoring the Breuer’s enduring legacy as we usher in a new chapter of Sotheby’s.” Sarah Carroll, LPC chair, commended the former Whitney Museum of American Art building for its “unique interior” that serves as a remarkable example “of the Brutalist style of modern architecture.” The interiors, Carroll elaborated, “represent a powerful testament to New York City’s role as a global center of innovative design.” “Today’s designation honors Marcel Breuer’s groundbreaking vision and ensures that this architectural icon will continue to serve as a premier showcase for world-class art, and be preserved and protected for generations to come,” Carroll continued. The news comes after Cape Cod Modern House Trust acquired Breuer’s summer cottage, following a lengthy preservation initiative to save it.