- 42,000-Square-Foot Flagship
- Adaptive Reuse Renovation Within Historic Landmark Building
- 80-Foot Glass Atrium Serves as Grand Reception and Main Lobby
- Grand Staircase and Triple-Height Gallery with 2 Large Auction Rooms
- Variety of Exhibition Spaces Accommodates Large-Scale Objects, Site-Specific Works, and Special Installations
- Melding Preservation of Mosaics and Marble Floors with Modern Materials
- New HQ Expands Bonhams’ Offering to the U.S. Market
Auction houses have traditionally been exclusive, transactional, and closed to the public. That model is evolving. As the art and luxury market shifts toward experience-driven engagement, auction houses are rethinking how they occupy cities. Bonhams, a 230-year-old auction house, sought a new U.S. headquarters that would honor its heritage while future-proofing its operations and public presence. Located within the landmarked Steinway Hall in Midtown, Manhattan, the project sought to transform the auction experience into a public amenity.
Gensler reconceptualized Steinway Hall as a flexible, hybrid-use environment where commerce, culture, and performance intersect. The design celebrates contrast, preserving the rotunda’s historic mosaics and marble floors while introducing modern materials, including terrazzo, white oak, and sculptural GFRG forms. A soaring glass atrium anchors and connects multiple gallery types, including triple-height, daylight-filled spaces and intimate, low-light environments that allow rapid transitions between exhibitions and auctions.
The new Bonhams headquarters establishes a next-generation auction house that functions as a civic-facing cultural destination. By offering a variety of spatial experiences to host public exhibitions, the building invites broader engagement with art and objects across categories. Gensler’s design enhances operational efficiency, supports evolving market demands, and restores Steinway Hall’s role within 57th Street’s cultural corridor. It celebrates Bonhams as a steward of history and a forward-looking institution within New York’s contemporary cultural landscape.
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Curbed covered the opening of Bonhams’ new headquarters in New York, where Gensler merged contemporary interiors with nods to the historic Steinway Hall’s musical legacy. “Nothing is on the nose, but there is this echo of performance,” says Design Director Jason Carney.
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Wallpaper spotlighted Bonhams’ new 42,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters at Steinway Hall. Gensler Design Director Jason Carney describes the project as a “layering of New York history,” and shared how the team embraced both history and modern experience.
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Architectural Digest explored the buildings that make New York’s skyline so iconic — including the landmarked Steinway Tower, which features a new flagship for Bonhams auction house. Gensler and Nada Sawires transformed the tower’s rotunda to house galleries, offices, and photography studios.
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The World of Interiors highlighted Bonhams’ new U.S. flagship at 111 W. 57th St., describing Gensler’s interiors as “a study in contrasts” where the landmark’s history blends with modern touches.
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Commercial Observer spotlighted Gensler’s work on Bonhams’ new U.S. headquarters at 111 W 57th St. “Flexibility was key,” says Gensler Design Director Jason Carney, noting the design was driven by the need to accommodate a wide range of exhibitions and auctions.
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