Isamu Noguchi's Unbuilt Lever House Courtyard Designs Debut in Park Avenue Exhibition
The exhibition titled "Isamu Noguchi at Lever House" commenced on September 14, 2026, and will continue until August 31, 2027, at Lever House, located at 390 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022. This showcase includes sculptures, models, and drawings, with a particular emphasis on Noguchi's unrealized courtyard designs from 1952. Organized by Jacob King and curated by Hitomi Iwasaki and Matthew Kirsch, it is presented by BGRE and WatermanClark, in partnership with The Noguchi Museum and White Cube gallery. Notable pieces on display include the Model for the Lever Brothers Building (1952; fabricated 2003) and interactive works such as Bird B (1958) and Play Sculpture (c. 1965–80). Born in 1904, Noguchi advocated for the integration of public art into everyday life.
Key facts
- Exhibition Isamu Noguchi at Lever House opens September 14, 2026, and runs through August 31, 2027.
- It features two unbuilt courtyard proposals Noguchi designed for Lever House in 1952.
- Lever House, designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was completed in 1952.
- The show is organized by Jacob King and curated by Hitomi Iwasaki and Matthew Kirsch of The Noguchi Museum.
- Building owners BGRE and WatermanClark collaborated with The Noguchi Museum and White Cube gallery.
- Central work: Model for the Lever Brothers Building (1952; fabricated 2003), displayed in a lobby vitrine.
- First proposal included a marble surface, shallow reflecting pool, and three granite sculptures of a family.
- Second proposal added water, planting, open space, and referenced Brancusi's Endless Column.
Entities
Artists
- Isamu Noguchi
- Gordon Bunshaft
- Constantin Brancusi
- Jacob King
- Hitomi Iwasaki
- Matthew Kirsch
Institutions
- Lever House
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
- The Noguchi Museum
- White Cube
- BGRE
- WatermanClark
- Columbia University
- Guggenheim
- Lever Club
- Forbes
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Park Avenue
- Los Angeles
- Japan
- Indiana
- Paris
- France