Seeking to establish a new home for its Master of Fine Arts and Photography programs, Pratt Institute partnered with Spectorgroup to design its new location at Dock 72 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Strategically situated on the edge of Pratt’s Brooklyn campus, the thoughtfully designed space marks a significant evolution from the programs’ former fragmented presence in the Pfizer Building on Flushing Avenue.
A State-of-the-Art Creative Workspace
Occupying 62,570 square feet of space across the building’s entire third floor, Pratt hoped to create a state-of-the-art creative workspace—one that provided further delineation between the programs themselves, a more democratic division of space, and the ability to grow and change with students as they progress through their artistic journeys.
Guests enter the space from the centrally-located elevator lobbies, which open directly into the floor’s main gallery space. Divided equally between exhibition spaces for each program, this area provides a location for students and critics to examine their work, as well as a Performance Lab that offers specialty theater lighting for performance-based art and sculpture exhibitions.
Craft and Connection
At both ends of the space’s rectangular footprint, the design team prioritized proper circulation to ensure equal division of the space and ease of movement. Spaces around the core are intentionally utilized for storage, with wood, metal, and plaster fabrication shops located along the perimeter. The remaining space comprises 100 individual artist studios, computer lab, seminar, and lecture spaces, greatly bolstering student access to necessary resources. Beyond working spaces, the Dock 72 building also features a robust food hall, lounge areas, outdoor terraces, and rooftop gardens.
A Creative Ecosystem
Existing concrete floors were maintained, juxtaposed against simple white walls to provide a “blank slate” for students. With studio heights intentionally lowered below ceiling level, a pervasive sense of openness reinforces connectivity between the artists and their work, while simultaneously providing a space primed for artistic expression.
Situated prominently on the East River waterfront, the new home of Pratt’s Master in Fine Arts and Photography programs dovetails seamlessly with the university’s Brooklyn campus, ultimately allowing for ease of coordination between studio visits, exhibitions, conversations, and shop work. The result is a practical, understated environment tailored to the craft and aesthetic expression of its end-users.
