Throughout the project, the design team navigated a constant balancing act; meeting the practical demands of a complex, high-security cultural and commercial operation while simultaneously pursuing a design vision flexible enough to anticipate the evolving needs of the art world. The result is a building that performs at the highest operational level while remaining adaptable to Christie’s changing programming, exhibition formats, and client expectations for decades to come.

PAU’s design makes the venue more welcoming and accessible, establishes spatial clarity across its three stories, and draws both the public and patrons into expanded galleries that feel both grand and intimate. The work carefully respects the building’s landmarked facade, weaving new architectural interventions into Rockefeller Center’s protected art deco fabric. The result is a seamless environment that flows naturally from the urban energy of the plaza outside to the quiet intimacy of the art within.