At Brooklyn’s historic Bush Terminal in Sunset Park, nARCHITECTS has renovated Building A, catalyzing the establishment of the MADE Campus, a new manufacturing hub for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). This project supports the agency’s broader initiatives to elevate manufacturers, artisans, designers, and entrepreneurs and to retain manufacturing industries and skilled workers in the city. The MADE Campus will deliver leasable space for emerging industries, introduce public realm amenities, and revitalize employment opportunities for the community.
From 1905 – 1925, the 36-acre Bush Terminal was a revolutionary intermodal shipping, storage, and distribution complex and served as New York City’s first and largest multi-tenant industrial property. With the decline of water and rail distribution networks in the area, the MADE Campus presented an opportunity to connect the typically insular activities of production to the waterfront in new ways.
Viewing adaptive reuse through the lens of innate curiosity, nARCHITECTS approached the transformation of the historic 230,000-square-foot former warehouse with a playful but sensitive reinterpretation of the past. Balancing new interventions with historical restoration, the design intertwines a storied legacy with future resiliency, all while crafting an atmosphere of visibility, accessibility, and community. The transformed Building A now offers 170,000 square feet of tenant spaces for growing industries, a dynamic employment hub, and a significant new public interior.