L10 Arts and Cultural Center

Custom millwork for the L10 Arts and Cultural Center required a detailed, methodical approach, bringing together digital fabrication techniques and hands-on craftsmanship to fulfill the unique requirements of this public project designed by Andrea Steele Architecture.

The L10 Arts and Cultural Center, spanning 65,000 square feet, serves as a creative hub in Downtown Brooklyn for several cultural institutions including the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), and 651 ARTS. Rift sawn white oak veneer was CNC routed into panelling, benches and shelving throughout the project, with solid oak being fashioned into stadium seating for MocCADA and steam-bent at the BAM concessions counter.

Central to L10’s design is an undulating oak wall that winds through BPL’s reading room and into MoCADA’s performance space, creating a curvilinear thread between the two spaces. Grain matching was a critical aspect of this build, requiring a high level of collaboration with the design team and material suppliers to ensure a continuous, vertical grain across the curved panels, while maintaining a harmonious look with veneer from multiple logs.

Panels with integrated bookshelves required particularly tight tolerances, resulting in zero-gap installations that preserved the continuity of the horizontal lines throughout the space. Hidden connectors ensure structural integrity without compromising aesthetics. In addition, the benches at MoCADA have solid wood tops, while those at BPL incorporated veneer. The challenge lay in making sure that the functional aspects of all pieces meet the demands of public use while remaining visually cohesive with the overall linear design intent.

The project faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mockups that we created pre-pandemic served as crucial references after the project resumed, allowing for continued refinement of the design details. Our team facilitated workshops with ASA and stakeholders to problem-solve within budget constraints while still pushing the limits of what could be achieved with the millwork.

Overall, the L10 Arts and Cultural Center project illustrates our commitment to innovative solutions and high-quality craftsmanship. The collaboration with the design team coupled with our dedication to precise tolerances and material finishing culminated in a project that not only meets the aesthetic ideals set forth by the architects but also stands as a testament to our ability to adapt in the face of unforeseen challenges.