Domino Culture Factory

The Domino Sugar Factory is situated on the East River waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Now abandoned, the original factory dates back to 1856 and was once the epicenter of sugar processing in the US. Since closing in 2004, the site and its buildings have stood empty. Based on models like the Tate Modern and the 798 Art District in Beijing, the proposal for the Domino Culture Factory seeks to promote the adaptive reuse of the existing factory buildings creating a new cultural destination that combines public and private programming.

Divided into two general zones the project encompasses a green energy technology center, educational, community and hotel-driven programming to the south with publicly accessible private museum space, exhibition and gallery space to the north.

The entire site is accessible to the public; buildings are linked together by large green areas and a new waterfront boardwalk and sculpture park. A marina along with a planned ferry stop emphasizes the site’s unique waterfront location and creates the first of a series of planned ferry stops that link together a variety of outer borough cultural destinations.

The buildings are retrofitted with a combination of publicly accessible green roofs and photo voltaic roof panels, which, along with geothermal heating and cooling and the use of wind and wave energy, will help the site achieve a greatly reduced carbon footprint. Once complete, the new Domino Culture Factory will offer approximately 700,000 sf of publicly accessible private museum spaces along with a public promenade, outdoor sculpture areas, educational spaces, and affordable housing.