Los Planes para el Nuevo Domino Establecen el Objetivo del 30% de Unidades de Viviendas Económicas en la Comunidad con Ingresos Mixtos en el Área que Bordea el Río en Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Anterior Sitio Industrial Reflejará la Diversidad Económica y Cultural de la Ciudad y Preservará la Arquitectura Histórica en Williamsburg
Historic Preservation
THE NEW DOMINO will achieve the historic preservation of the notable Refinery complex with its tall iconic chimney, and the beloved DOMINO SIGN will be SAVED!
THE CENTRAL FEATURE ON the Domino Site is the Refinery complex, which is comprised of three separate structures: the Filter House, the Finishing House, and the Pan House. The Refinery buildings were constructed in 1882 and it was here that raw sugar cane was processed into its finished product.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the three buildings that make up the Refinery complex as New York City Landmarks on September 25, 2007. We applaud the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s unanimous decision to designate the Refinery buildings as landmarks. The New Domino will balance the old and the new, preserving the best of the past to inform and grace the future.
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Rendering of LPC-approved restoration of the Refinery complex |
Proposed alterations for reuse of the Refinery complex include, but are not limited to, a new internal structural system, new historically appropriate windows, and a roof-top addition. The LPC voted to approve these alterations on June 24, 2008. Their findings on the appropriateness of the proposed alterations are contained in a Status Update Letter issued by LPC on June 26, 2008.
The renovated Refinery complex will feature on its roof the Domino Sign that has graced the site in recent decades.
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Domino Sugar Sign |
The adaptive reuse of the Refinery complex poses a number of challenges, as it was designed and constructed for the specialized processes of sugar refining. Because the Refinery complex is a collection of three individual buildings it does not have uniform and continuous floor levels. The complex includes large pieces of industrial equipment that in some places extend through several floors. The removal of this equipment will leave very few floors intact; compounding the challenge is the fact that the existing cast iron columns do not have the load-bearing capacity to support multiple stories. Moreover, the deep-set and relatively small windows, combined with the deep floor plate of the complex, render the Refinery's buildings unsuitable for habitable use without altering the building to allow sufficient light and air. To reuse the Refinery complex, the entire interior structure and all the machinery will need to be dismantled and removed, leaving only the massive brick bearing walls and smokestack intact. These masonry walls will need to be braced temporarily while an entirely new structural framework with new floor slabs is built within the existing brick shell.
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View of South Elevation |
The Refinery complex will be the centerpiece of The New Domino. It will serve as a reminder of the vibrant industrial heritage that once dominated the Williamsburg waterfront.
