Brooklyn, NY – When Steiner Studios built their first movie production building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, David Steiner, CEO of Steiner Equities Group, knew that precast concrete construction was the perfect fit for the studio complex.
Adding a third studio building at the city’s largest movie production complex, to increase the number of sound stages, Dattner Architects and general contractor the Steiner Group once more partnered with Oldcastle Precast Building Systems, specifying precast concrete components to build the new studios at Kent Avenue in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Precast construction solved the acoustical demands required for modern studios, providing for tight tolerances and allowing for longer structural spans, creating more open space. “Sound attenuation and clear interior space are of the utmost importance to our industry,” stated Steiner in an article about the first Steiner Studio built at the complex, written by the National Precast Concrete Association. In addition, Steiner was impressed as to how quickly the studios could be built, allowing them to start operations a lot sooner than with other construction methods or materials.
To create the new studio building, Oldcastle Precast BSD of Selkirk, NY designed, manufactured, shipped and erected 160,000 square feet of 12-inch THK precast, insulated wall panels (a total of 430 panels), 78,000 square feet of 8-inch THK, 12” and 16” hollow-core plank, 14 precast columns, 10 precast beams, and 40 precast stairs & landings. The project field erection began January 2017 and was completed in August 2017.
“Our industry would like to commend the owner for their commitment to a long term sustainable environment for NYC,” remarked David Wan P.E., LEED AP Chief Engineer for Oldcastle Precast BSD. “The use of carbon fiber connected precast insulated sandwich wall panels reduced the amount of concrete/cement used to the minimum, to meet structural and fire design requirements, in addition to providing a built-in insulated building envelope to reduce long term energy needs.”
The new three-story soundstage, built at the Steiner Studio’s complex, spans 178,800sf. There are six sound stages and a cafeteria on the ground floor, followed by support spaces like dressing rooms, wardrobe storage, hair and makeup rooms, and a waiting area on the second floor. The third floor would offer production offices and dimmer rooms.
