Yard Work
As industrial campuses find new life with commercial development, there’s a growing need for smart and compelling public spaces within.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard is evolving. Existing tenants and cultural initiatives are attracting more visitors, while anticipated projects will bring thousands of additional employees to the campus in the coming years.
To serve this diverse and growing community, the Yard planned a new public space for Bldg 92: a gallery/café dedicated to showcasing Brooklyn Navy Yard tenants and their work. As a Navy Yard tenant since 2013, we eagerly joined the team to re-imagine this space.
Tasked with designing the gallery space, we created Yard Work as an open and adaptable exhibition system to display the rich culture and work within the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The space—created through a series of perforated panels and platforms intended to receive a variety of work—can easily reconfigure to host new exhibits and a range of objects, artifacts, and art. Made of unfinished MDF, the panel’s patina will alter gradually over time, reflecting the industrial and ever-changing nature of the Yard itself.
The inaugural Wood Works exhibit, which opened in February 2017, highlighted 18 businesses and the range of wood products they’re producing within the Yard, from high-tech design to traditional manufacturing methods and time-honored craftsmanship. Beyond showcasing the design talent and culture of making among tenants, this hybrid space has become an important gathering point for their employees, Yard staff, and outside visitors.
Client
Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Scope
500 sq ft
Completion
2017
Photography
Ester Segretto, SITU
