At a Christie’s auction, everything comes down to the action unfolding in the room, a ritual shaped by centuries, where the past, present, and future seem to assemble on a single podium. At the center of it all is the auctioneer, positioned within the rostrum, alert to the slightest flick of a finger, a raised hand, even a sigh. The rostrum is more than a desk. It is the stage from which the room is read, the focal point in an otherwise understated space where all attention remains fixed on the art. This raised wooden pulpit, the auctioneer’s command center, is also one of the few objects in the room emblazoned with the Christie’s name.
After 260 years, Christie’s has unveiled a new rostrum designed by Sir Jony Ive and the LoveFrom team. Introduced on March 5 at Christie’s King Street headquarters in London, the sustainably sourced, handmade oak rostrum offers a clear line of sight across the entire room. It is no ordinary object. This is where theatrics, anticipation, drama, and shifting dynamics unfold in full view, where every gesture and every change in mood can be felt instantly.
The new rostrum will replace the Chippendale-designed podiums across Christie’s auction houses around the world. Ive’s version is tall, elegant, and finished with remarkable precision, designed to be seen from every angle, which is especially important in an era shaped by online auctions. And while this rounded rostrum is new, it also carries a remarkable historical link. It shares a connection with Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, having been made from the same 200-year-old oak sourced from the same forest. The craftsmanship comes from Benchmark, the expert British studio known for its meticulous work.
“It’s a beautiful thing that you can take a modest material, such as oak, and that with the expertise of the designers and craftspeople involved, value is added in the process,” said Ive. “I find that magical.” The workmanship is truly applause-worthy. The podium now features stairs that can be deployed at the touch of a button, with a stainless steel latch that serves as the only non-timber element. Even this detail reflects the thought behind the design. It is not a noisy intervention but a quiet one, part of a rostrum that does not loom over its audience but sits, as Ive puts it, “politely higher.”
The Christie’s brand appears in two places. One is at the very front, visible to every attentive eye in the room, on the face of the rostrum itself. The other is fixed on a metal plate at the base of the door on the reverse, a subtle reminder to the auctioneer that this is where history unfolds and is made once more. The rostrum is crafted from end-grain oak, chosen for its hardness and for the distinctive tone it produces when struck by the hammer-like gavel. The gavel, too, is made of end-grain oak for the very same reason.
One can only agree with Ive, who described the beautifully appointed rostrum as both a monument and, in many ways, a playground for the rich.
[All images courtesy Christies]
