Urban Land Institute Magazine has included Wildflower Studios in an article about modern soundstage design. Located in Astoria in New York City’s borough of Queens, the BIG-designed film, television, production and creative studio complex is being developed by Wildflower Ltd. in conjunction with actor Robert De Niro, his son Raphael and producer Jane Rosenthal. While film studios are typically organized side by side on large lots, in the dense urban environment of New York City BIG reimagined this arrangement to house the future of film within a reduced footprint. The program is organized around eleven basic studio ‘modules.’ Each module consists of the large span stage, vertical transportation and production support spaces such as scene shops and dressing rooms. The modules are organized into two-story rows contained within a single volume. A central spine between the two rows becomes the bustling heart of activity between the stages. Large openings in the warehouse bring daylight into the central street and create a communal terrace for the actors, production crews, producers, screenwriters and other inhabitants.
