NEW YORK—Don’t let white box standardization fool you: Not all galleries are created equal.

Haunch of Venison, which has the unusual distinction of being owned by Christie’s International, inaugurates its New York presence on Friday, with further reminders of its unique status. Not only is it kicking things off with a museum-quality show of Abstract Expressionism, composed of loans from elite public institutions and private collections, but it also flaunts a museum-quality display space, with a double-story, skylit entrance hall, five galleries, three private viewing rooms, and considerable office space — 20,000 grand square feet in total.

Haunch also distinguishes itself by deviating from the look of the standard New York gallery. Perched atop a Rockefeller Center tower, Haunch NY (the enterprise already has locations in London, Zurich, and Berlin) could not feel more different from your typical street-level Chelsea space; occupying the entire top two stories of 1230 Avenue of the Americas, the gallery offers plenty of natural light and the sort of Midtown views that executives are used to, not mechanics. Architect Steven Learner has made the most of the penthouse setting by installing some display walls away from the building’s perimeter, thereby maximizing exhibition space while preserving natural light (and creating areas shielded from it). In addition, he’s maintained some of the space’s original masonry walls and generated intimate nooks where artwork and dramatic skyline views compete for the visitor’s attention. The idea, Learner told ARTINFO, was to “tame but not lose the city.”

Like the gallery itself, everything about the opening show is big, from the size of the art (this is Ab Ex, after all), to the quantity of works (63), to the names on display — highlights include pieces by Still, Kline, Newman, Reinhardt, de Kooning, Francis, Rothko, and Pollock. Titled “Abstract Expressionism — A World Elsewhere” and guest curated by London-based critic and curator David Anfam, the show runs September 12 to November 12.

According to Michael Rooks, the gallery’s chief curator and director of exhibitions, “A World Elsewhere” is the first in what will be a yearlong series of group shows; the first solo show, planned for fall 2009, will feature gallery artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, and following Ab Ex is a selection of contemporary sculpture titled “Take Me There.” The purpose of the group shows is to allow the gallery to showcase its curatorial ambition, develop relationships with new artists, and, one assumes, come to terms with its enormous space.