Dezeen Magazine

Wildflower Studios is a vertical film studio in New York City

BIG's multi-storey film studio for Robert De Niro set to be built in New York

Architecture studio BIG won approval for a 44-metre-high film studio in Queens, New York City, which is set to be the "first vertical film studio in the world".

The 760,000-square-foot film and television studio, which received planning permission last year, will be built for New York-based developer Wildflower Ltd.

Wildflower Ltd is collaborating with American actor Robert De Niro, his son and real-estate broker Raphael De Niro and American film producer Jane Rosenthal on the project.

Exterior render of the entrance to Wildflower Studios
BIG has designed Wildflower Studios in Queens

According to its developers, BIG's multi-storey film studio will become the "first purpose-built production soundstage" in the city and "the world's first vertical film studio" when it completes in 2023.

"The vertical media production village will be home to storytellers working across all mediums – a three-dimensional hub of collaboration, creativity, and innovation," said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

"While New York City is no stranger to being the star of many visual stories – the city effectively a character in itself – this first ground-up vertical production stage complex marks a new chapter in the city's ability to create the stories of our future."

Render of Wildflower Studios and surrounding green spaces
The film studio is set to be complete in 2023

The structure will contain 11 studio modules that each house a large stage, vertical transportation as well as production support that includes prop shops, dressing rooms and technical areas.

The rectilinear building will be clad in precast, concrete panels that are each angled to create a geometric look across the facade.

Two entrances, one for pedestrians and the other for deliveries and logistics, will be framed by curving walls that will direct flow to the interior.

Fibre cement panels will line the interior of the studios tying it to the pleated cement panels across the facade.

Render of the public green spaces at Wildflower Studios
The building will be clad in cast concrete panels

A pair of terraces will punctuate the facade and provide the studios with natural daylight, access to the nearby waterfront as well as views of the Manhattan skyline.

The building will be raised above the flood plain with parking and loading spaces placed below the film studios, while the roof will include a 150,000 square foot system of solar panels.

Render of landscaped green spaces and walkways
The building will be topped by a terrace

"We are determined to create a world-class content creation campus in Queens," said Wildflower Ltd managing partner Adam Gordon.

"It speaks to telling stories in all forms; streaming, AR, VR, and gaming, with a building design that looks toward the future."

Wildflower Studios is expected to be completed in late 2023. BIG was founded in 2005 by Ingels and has offices in London, New York and Barcelona.

Recent BIG projects featured on Dezeen include its proposal for a city in the US desert and the CityWave building in Milan.