New York City’s Department of Buildings (NYCDOB) has given the go-ahead for construction of the city’s first purpose-built sound stage. The estimated $400 million project is expected to be completed in 2023.
Robert De Niro’s Wildflower Studios will be the first vertical film studio in the world, with 11 stages and two open-air terraces, with a precast concrete panel façade. Overall the studios designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) will occupy 775,000 sq. ft. including 150,000 sq. ft. of solar panels. A waterfront esplanade will be open to the public.
The 145-ft.-, seven story tall development will be in the Ditmars–Steinway neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, on land formerly owned by the Steinway piano manufacturer.
“We are determined to create a world-class content creation campus in Queens,” Adam Gordon, Wildflower Studios’ managing partner, said in a statement. “t speaks to telling stories in all forms: streaming, AR, VR, and gaming, with a building design that looks toward the future.”
Bjarke Ingels, BIG’s founder, said: “The vertical media production village will be home to storytellers working across all mediums – a hub of collaboration, creativity, and innovation.”
