On the site of an old garage in Bushwick, we built a Willy Wonka factory of audio technology for Ex Machina Soundworks. The new two-story facility contains a recording studio, an R&D lab, a vast assembly room, a lounge, and an anechoic testing chamber. Our open metal stair links these spaces and winds its way up to an expansive roof deck.
First off, the state-of-the-art recording studio is a precisely dimensioned room floating within a concrete-block box. Compositionally, the CMU box pushes through the Kalwall panels on the front facade to serve as a canvas for graffiti artists. Spanning over the whole assembly, our giant CorTen steel plate girder celebrates the neighborhood’s industrial roots.
Next up, the R&D lab is high-security facility for developing proprietary equipment for the recording industry. Necessarily windowless, the room gets its “daylight” from Coelux simulated skylights. In he large assembly room, by contrast, a huge roof monitor floods the factory floor with sunlight.
Finally, the anechoic chamber is a high-tech vault for testing audio equipment. Combining acoustical isolation with sound-wave absorption, we achieved one of the quietest places in North America. This room is so uncannily silent, users cannot exceed a 15-minute stay by OSHA regulations.
Halfway up the main stair is a break-out lounge with a wet bar. Encircled by built-in planters, the garden thrives under spilled sunlight from the long stair bulkhead above. This in turn opens onto a roof deck with views of the Manhattan skyline.
