Status: Complete
Location: 141 Flushing Ave Building 77, Brooklyn, NY
TWA designed the nearly 20,000 SF retail, bakery, and production facility for Russ & Daughters, a New York culinary and cultural icon, inside Building 77 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — a 1941 concrete structure originally built for the U.S. Army and fully renovated in 2019. The project established the company’s new main base of operations, combining food production, bakery, cold storage, shipping, and corporate offices with a retail store that extends the brand’s century-old presence in New York City.
Working within the Navy Yard’s strict administrative and approval framework, TWA coordinated with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and the Small Business Administration to secure approvals and meet operational requirements.
Design and technical challenges were addressed through innovative solutions: in cooperation with Silman Engineers, new mezzanines were introduced in the 20-foot-tall space, suspended from the structural slab above to create a column-free environment and maintain forklift clearance below. Logistics were carefully planned, including a loading dock with climate-controlled air lock, circulation zones for heavy equipment, and efficient connections between production, storage, and shipping areas.
The retail component reflects the brand’s historic aesthetic while adapting it for a contemporary industrial setting. Traditional ceramic tiles recall the 1920s, when Russ & Daughters first opened on the Lower East Side, while exposed metal structures tie the facility into the Navy Yard’s architectural character. The result is a space that is both highly functional and culturally resonant — a modern production hub for one of New York’s most iconic institutions.