NEW YORK CITY—Two Trees Management is continuing to redevelop the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the Brooklyn real estate development firm's latest design proposal for the Refinery, the centerpiece of the development site. The building in 2014 attracted international attention when it housed Kara Walker's highly acclaimed, massive public sculpture, A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby.

Vishaan Chakrabarti's Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) prepared the latest revised design for the 400,000 square-foot, landmark structure. The redesign returns the iconic Domino Sugar sign back on top of the building. Two Trees says the project respects the building's history, provides greater public access, and increases efficiency in its use as a modern work space.

The Refinery, originally constructed in 1856, was vacant since 2004. Two Trees purchased the property in 2012 and SHoP Architects submitted a redevelopment plan, which was approved by the city in 2014. However, PAU's proposal recently approved by the commission restructures the space by creating a glass building enclosed by the historic brick facade.

To preserve the Refinery, yet convert it to new offices poses adaptive reuse challenges because the structure was created to house gigantic machinery. The equipment filtered, panned and finished sugar, in a looming, multi-story open space.

The building lacked traditional floors separating each of the levels. The four brick facades have windows which are misaligned. This would not easily allow for the creation of office floors as one unified structure connecting to each of the existing walls. The interior of the building would lack light and air, especially with the creation of traditional office walls.

As a solution PAU has designed a glass interior that is pulled back from the brick facade, using the landmark structure as an armature. Such a framework would allow light and air to pass through the monumental sculpturing of the ruin-like brick walling that will remain, with a new, modern, glass structure interior.

The top of the building will be replaced by a crystalline, barrel-vaulted sky roof, and at the street level, an open-air courtyard will be added. Halls, shops, eateries and public amenities will be located on the ground floor.

Instant Insights /

Landmarks Preservation Approves Domino Sugar's Redesign

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