Revitalization of The Met Breuer
New York, NY
Marcel Breuer was at the height of his career when he designed a third home for the Whitney Museum in 1966 and was the recognized master of using what he called “close to Earth materials,” particularly stone and concrete, which are so eloquently combined in this building.
The privilege of restoring this iconic building and helping to transform it into The Met Breuer has been an immersive task, including extensive research and an understanding of Breuer’s approach to design and materials. His belief that materials become more dignified over time
through weathering and use has guided our work.
While the building is modest in size (29,000 square feet of gallery space), it is bold – often called brutalist – but at the same time intimate, almost domestic in scale, with an integrity and honesty of design and execution that places it among the top mid-century modern buildings in New York. The dramatic form of the inverted pyramid and the two-story high glass wall facing Madison Avenue were intended by Breuer to “receive the visitor before entering the building.”
The overall goal has been to approach the restoration as Breuer himself would have, carefully preserving the authentic patina of aging materials and allowing visitors to understand and appreciate the building’s evolution over time.
Planning for the lobby for The Met Breuer has focused on enhancing both circulation and the visitor experience. Retail has been minimized and visitors are provided with free access throughout the lobby and lower level. A new, specially designed ticketing desk and ticketing kiosks help to minimize waiting times for entry to the museum.
The restoration of the public interior spaces and exterior Sunken Garden was undertaken with a consciously conservative approach. Inappropriate or obsolete interventions made after 1966 have been removed and new interventions are limited and contemporary, and capture the spirit of Breuer’s aesthetic and intent. Our focus has been on restoring the building’s signature attributes, including concrete walls, bluestone floors, bronze fixtures, wood handrails, and lighting. The restoration carefully distinguishes patina from damage, reserving gentle, targeted cleaning for areas that suffered soiling and damage.
To complement the restored interiors, the Design Team created a number of discreet contemporary elements – all inspired by Breuer’s use of sculptural forms and natural materials; these elements are integrated throughout the building to establish The Met presence and introduce a contemporary tone.
We would like to acknowledge the collaboration of the Design Team, composed of The Met Design Department and Beyer Blinder Belle, in addition to The Met Modern & Contemporary Art department, numerous Met administrative departments, and 12 specialized consultants in various technical disciplines.
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners was founded in 1968. The practice now totals 195 professionals, with offices in New York City and Washington, DC.
Planning, restoration, and the design of new buildings are the fundamental underpinnings of BBB’s practice. Many of our projects involve the stewardship and revitalization of historic buildings in sensitive urban sites – the work for which we have become best recognized. Firm projects include numerous mid-century modern buildings such as Eero Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport, Delano & Aldrich’s Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, Junzo Yoshimura’s Japan Society, and Wallace Harrison’s Lincoln Center Promenade.
BBB’s work has been recognized with hundreds of awards, including the American Institute of Architects Firm Award; three Presidential Design Awards; two TIME Magazine Design of the Year Awards; and many national and local awards for design excellence.
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March 1, 2016
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