945 Madison Avenue

945 Madison Avenue is a five-story art museum building in the Upper East Side, designed with granite walls, concrete surfaces, and distinctive angular forms. The brutalist structure combines materials like granite, concrete, terrazzo, and bluestone to create a striking architectural presence.

Marcel Breuer and Hamilton Smith designed the building in 1966 as the third home of the Whitney Museum of American Art, where it remained until 2014. After the museum relocated, the building was repurposed for other major art organizations and remains a testament to modern design history.

The building housed three major art institutions, reflecting New York's evolving role as a global art center. The raw concrete and granite surfaces still convey the modern artistic spirit that flourished here for decades.

The location is easily reached by subway or bus, which run directly along Madison Avenue near 75th Street. Visiting on weekdays is often easier, as fewer pedestrians crowd the street.

The building is known for its inverted ziggurat form, tapering upward like an upside-down pyramid. This unusual outline creates a striking contrast to the traditional towers around it and stands as a rare example of brutalist design on the upscale Madison Avenue.

Location: Manhattan

Inception: 1966

Architects: Marcel Breuer, Hamilton P. Smith, Marcel Breuer & Associates

Architectural style: brutalist architecture

Floors above the ground: 5

Made from material: concrete, granite, terrazzo, bluestone, walnut wood

Part of: Upper East Side Historic District

Address: 945 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021

GPS coordinates: 40.77341,-73.96384

Latest update: December 7, 2025 10:00