Field Operations and Studio Cadena have completed Domino Square, a striking plaza in Brooklyn’s Domino Sugar development, surrounded by angular concrete enclosures and designed to connect the area’s industrial heritage with modern urban life.
Maximizing Views and Accessibility
Situated between Selldorf Architects’ porcelain-clad towers and PAU’s repurposed Domino Sugar Factory, the plaza features a central rink shaded by a canopy and tiered seating on the eastern side. These elements provide stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
The plaza cleverly adapts to the site’s sloped terrain, with landscaped enclosures at street level stepping down to the park. A weathering-steel-lined entryway provides access to the plaza, creating a welcoming gateway that emphasizes movement and sightlines.
Concrete Enclosures and Flexible Design
Studio Cadena designed the concrete enclosures that line the street, blending with the park’s infrastructure while offering flexible spaces for future retail or restaurant use. These enclosures extend the industrial aesthetic, featuring slight changes in aggregate to distinguish them while integrating with the plaza’s landscape.
“We wanted to create a sense of enclosure and a distinct figure for the park, offering flexibility for different uses,” said Studio Cadena founder Benjamin Cadena.
Honoring Industrial History
The plaza incorporates functional elements like bronze-coloured ventilation pipes for a water treatment facility below, which serve as reminders of the site’s industrial past. This integration reflects the ethos of Domino Sugar’s transformation into a modern urban hub.
A Legacy of Urban Design
Domino Square marks one of the final steps in the Domino Sugar redevelopment masterplanned by SHoP Architects and Field Operations. The area already boasts iconic skyscrapers and a six-acre waterfront park, with one last tower still under construction.
Field Operations, renowned for projects like Manhattan’s High Line, and Studio Cadena, known for their sculptural installations, have brought their expertise to this multi-level project, blending urban vibrancy with historical context.
