By Jean Brannum
A brand new set of vertical sound stages is about to open in Astoria, but it’s already won an award from the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
Wildflower Studios on 19th Ave won one of the Chamber’s Building Awards for its beautiful and sustainable design. The building holds seven floors of 11 soundstages, dressing rooms, offices, kitchens, a restaurant, massive elevators and post-production suites. Outside is a 30,000-square-foot public area along the waterfront.
The building itself consists of steel framing and insulated concrete panels. Its black, mosaic design creates an elegant aesthetic for the studio building. The design plays with scale, light, and shape, Wildflower Studio said in an email. The “textured facade” reflects light in different ways depending on how the sunlight hits it.
Large openings are curved slightly to provide natural light in the main area, called “central street.”
To resist flooding, builders constructed Wildflower studios with an electric transformer vault on the top floor. In addition, the rooftop is covered with 150,000 square feet of solar panels.
Film star Robert De Niro, his son, Raphael De Niro and Adam Gordon developed the production center. The design and construction of the building is by the Bjarke Ingels Group, which built the John Hopkins Student Center and The Spiral in Manhattan along with many other notable buildings around the world.
The idea behind the studio’s creation was to create a space for media production and hospitality. These spaces allow for those working in the building to have social spaces.
The Queens Chamber of Commerce Building Awards has been an annual event for 98 years and will take place at the TWA Hotel Oct. 10.
“Queens to grow and thrive, thanks to the incredible work of the real estate, architecture, and construction communities. The 2024 Building Awards Gala will honor these talented professionals who are shaping the future of Queens,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
