Sarah Carroll, Chair
Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street
New York, NY 10007

RE: RFE 945 Madison Avenue, Whitney Museum of American Art

Dear Chair Carroll:

The Preservation League of New York State supports the Request for Evaluation, seeking Interior Landmark Designation, for the former Whitney Museum of American Art at 945 Madison Avenue, submitted by Docomomo US and Docomomo US New York/Tri-State. Although the property is located within the Upper East Side Historic District, we agree that it is significant enough to merit both Individual and Interior designation.

As a seminal work of Bauhaus master, Marcel Breuer; as the longtime home of one of New York’s most prominent cultural institutions; and as a nationally significant interior and exterior, The Whitney Museum of American Art undoubtedly deserves protection as a designated New York City Interior Landmark. Since its opening 57 years ago in 1966, the building has customarily been open or accessible to the public. Today, the recently restored interior is largely as it was originally designed.

For these reasons, we enthusiastically support Docomomo’s RFE and respectfully request that the Landmarks Preservation Commission consider protection of these unique interior spaces.

Sincerely,

Caitlin Meives
Director of Preservation

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The Postmodern interior of 60 Wall Street, a well used privately owned public space (POPS). Docomomo US staff photo.

On Monday, March 6, Docomomo US and a coalition of advocates for the designation of 60 Wall Street (including the League) will release a letter urging the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate 60 Wall Street as an individual and interior landmark. This comes on the heals of the January 2023 vote by the Commission to allow the developer to make only modest changes to the exterior, essentially preserving the iconic colonnade and the essential nature of the building. The LPC previously noted "the building and interior POPS merit further study within the context of Postmodern commercial architecture and interiors."

Docomomo US and the coalition of advocates will meet in the POPS space at 60 Wall Street at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 6 to announce the letter and rally support for the designation. Please join us at the rally on Monday and urge the LPC to move forward now on the designation of 60 Wall Street before this outstanding example of architecture and history is lost.

Click here to read the letter to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Advocates for the designation of 60 Wall Street:

• Docomomo US

• Historic Districts Council

• Manhattan Community Board 1

• New York City Council Member Christopher Marte (District 1)

• New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee (District 65)

• Municipal Art Society

• New York Landmarks Conservancy

• Preservation League of New York State

• Human Scale NYC

• Tribeca Trust

• Deborah Berke

• Alice Blank 

• Adam Nathaniel Furman 

• Paul Goldberger

• Rock Herzog (Cocaine Decor) 

• Alexandra Lange

• Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen

• Robert A.M. Stern

Related press coverage:

• "A Win for Activists Fighting to Save 'Wonderful and Weird' Wall St. Atrium," Tribeca Trib, September 27, 2022.

• "60 Wall Street’s Lobby Is Weird and Ridiculous and Deserves to Be Saved," Curbed, September 19, 2022.

• "The Fight to Save New York’s Extravagantly ’80s Subway Entrance," The New York Times, July 29, 2022.

• "An Iconic Postmodern New York Lobby Is Slated for Destruction—Can It Be Saved?" Cultured, January 12, 2022.