JT Magen delivers expanded NYC flagship for Bonhams
Manhattan, NY JT Magen has completed a new 42,000 s/f, four-story flagship location for Bonhams, the auction house, at 111 West 57th St.
JT Magen served as construction manager for the tenant improvement project, overseeing all aspects from budgeting and scheduling, procurement of materials, managing subcontractors and conducting the final handover. Gensler served as the project’s architect; Nada Sawires (Design x Nada) provided interior design services; WSP served as structural engineer; and AMA Group (now CMTA) was the project’s MEP engineer.
The 230-year-old auction house relocated and expanded from its 32,000 s/f space at 580 Madison. The new location is unique in that it combines two buildings, one of them being the Steinway Hall, the former home of the Steinway & Sons Piano Company. In 2021, Steinway Tower, a luxury residential tower, rose over and around the building. The original first floor of the Steinway showroom has landmark status and was kept intact; it is now part of the Bonhams space, referred to as the Rotunda.
The building unites the historic Steinway Rotunda, with a 80-ft. glass atrium that features a rippling accent wall made of corrugated GFRG panels serving as the grand reception and main 
lobby. A grand staircase finished in pre-cast terrazzo leads to a triple-height gallery in natural light, complete with two large auction rooms. The headquarters features a variety of exhibition spaces to accommodate large-scale objects, site-specific works, and special installations.
The four gallery spaces throughout the building are deliberately minimal, including a triple-height gallery, a smaller southern gallery defined by an illuminated ceiling. and white oak finishes throughout that provide a neutral backdrop allowing visitors to focus on the art and objects themselves.
“JT Magen is proud to deliver this new NYC flagship location for Bonhams,” said Bill Fusco, a project manager at JT Magen who oversaw the fitout. “The project’s timeline and landmarked status required detailed coordination and forward-thinking logistics from the entire project team. Bonhams’ new HQ is a perfect melding of the modern and historic, a great example of the creative reuse of older landmark status properties that grace the ever-expanding NYC skyline.”
Beyond its galleries, the building accommodates Bonhams’ full New York workforce, offering multiple facilities from cataloguing and photography studios to client meeting spaces and a boardroom overlooking the atrium. Blending internal and external functions in close proximity ensures seamless cross-team collaboration and a streamlining of processes, to enhance the offering for clients and staff.