Truck Turntables
Barclays Center in New York City
Wildflower Studios in New York
Project: Wildflower Studios in New York
Diameter: 80-foot
Height: 24-inch
Rotation speed: 0.5RPM
Load Capability: 125,000 lbs.
Finished Year: 2024
A New York media production studio backed by actor Robert De Niro won a prize at the Mipim conference as one of the world’s best new commercial development projects. Wildflower Studios in Queens’ Astoria neighborhood claimed the award in the industrial and logistics category. The $1 billion facility—designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and developed by De Niro, Adam Gordon, and Meadow Partners—opened in August of 2024 as the world’s first vertically oriented film studio.
This year’s Mipim Awards honored projects that advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, emphasizing sustainability, architectural innovation, community integration, user experience, and economic impact. Wildflower’s 775,000-square-foot complex features 11 soundstages across two floors, off-street parking, and dedicated support spaces for seamless pre- to post-production workflows. Notably, the studio includes an 80-foot truck turntable, a groundbreaking logistical asset that streamlines the movement of large vehicles and equipment, reducing turnaround times and enhancing operational efficiency.
Inspired by Brutalist geometry, the building’s angled concrete panels blend form and function. The facility supports film, television, video games, and digital media production, aligning with New York’s post-pandemic entertainment industry rebound. Media-related office leasing in the city doubled in early 2024 compared to 2023, per a CBRE report, underscoring the sector’s revival amid recovery from COVID-19 and labor strikes.
Wildflower stood out as the sole U.S. winner among nine other global honorees from China, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. The studio’s design and logistics—including its vertical layout and innovative turntable—reflect a commitment to reimagining urban industrial spaces while addressing filmmakers’ practical needs.
