PAU revives brooklyn’s historic domino refinery as biophilic office

domino sugar factory revived as modern refinery

In the heart of Domino Park in Williamsburg, New York City, the former Domino Sugar Factory is being revived and transformed into a 460,000 square foot all-electric modern office building by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) alongside Two Trees Management and James Corner Field Operations. The new Refinery will see a modern glass building being set back from the original facade which will extend the masonry walls to create light and airy column-free spaces with vast ceilings. Inside the two structures’ 12-foot cavity space, a first-of-its-kind indoor vertical garden will line the perimeter. It will be dotted with live trees that have been hoisted over the historic brick facade and surgically dropped inside. Altogether, the design concept seeks to foster a productive working environment in touch with nature, and a structure in harmony with its surrounding nature.

Refinery at Domino in the heart of Williamsburg | rendering courtesy of Two Trees Management

a new model for biophilic office design

A unique adaptive reuse case, the Domino Refinery sees a former industrial site being given a new life as a modern workspace. Set to open by the end of the year, the building will be notably defined by its biophilic design as it seeks to create a new model for healthy, wellness-forward offices in touch with nature. To best utilize the existing space at the former factory, the architects at PAU, Domino Park team, and James Corner Field Operations landscape architects connected the office with the park outside by weaving its greenery into the space. 17 3-foot trees were craned in to make use of the cavity space between the original structure and the new. As it completes, the Refinery will feature a lush indoor ecosystem of mature trees, vines, and various plantings to provide building occupants with access to the outdoors at all times during the day.

In addition to the indoor garden and easy access to the outdoors during the day, tenants will have access to a triple height atrium lobby, acclaimed ground floor retailers, and on-site amenities including a penthouse open dome for gatherings.

PAU revives former Domino Sugar Factory to house modern offices | image by Wes Tarca

live trees transported to line the structure’s inner perimeter | image by Wes Tarca

making use of the cavity space between the original brick and new glass | image by Wes Tarca

image by Wes Tarca

project info:

name: Refinery at Domino

architecture: Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU)

landscape architecture: James Corner Field Operations
developer: Two Trees Management

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom