Brooklyn Commercial Loft Renovation — Industry City | Mammoth
Commercial Loft Renovation
Brooklyn
Commercial Loft
3000 Sq. Ft
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A gut renovation and loft conversion of a 3,000 square foot commercial loft in Industry City, Brooklyn, this project is unlike anything else in Mammoth's portfolio — a food photography studio with a fully functioning state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, designed for one of New York's most accomplished food photographers and built to perform on camera as much as in person.
The Brief
Photographer Mark Platt commissioned Mammoth for interior design and construction management of the Cooktop Studio — a professional space that needed to function simultaneously as a working commercial kitchen and a designed interior worthy of editorial photography. The challenge was building something versatile enough to accommodate any shoot while being specific enough to have genuine character. Most commercial loft renovations in NYC prioritize one or the other. This one required both.
The Space
Industry City's building conversions offer something Manhattan's SoHo, Tribeca, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, and Flatiron District lofts rarely do — genuine industrial scale without the premium price tag. The 3,000 square foot commercial loft at 14 53rd Street sits within a former manufacturing complex whose structural elements, high ceilings, and large windows define everything about how the space performs photographically. Natural light floods the studio from oversized windows, eliminating the need for permanent artificial lighting rigs and giving the space flexibility that a purpose-built studio closer to Penn Station or Times Square couldn't offer at this scale.
The Design
In a nod to Industry City's manufacturing roots, the main wall was clad in grey plaster rather than the exposed brick that defines many loft conversions in this part of Brooklyn — a material choice that photographs cleaner and provides a more neutral backdrop for food content of every color and style. The interior design decision to go plaster over exposed brick was deliberate and correct: the grey plaster provides depth and character without competing with the food.
The cabinetry is grey painted wood with custom routed millwork pulls that triangulate to taper — a detail that is both functional and sculptural, visible in every wide shot of the studio. The countertops play deliberate contrast: concrete-effect Dekton alongside a four-inch thick live-edge walnut slab backsplash, two materials that operate at completely different registers and create the kind of visual tension that makes a space interesting on camera. Hardwood floors run throughout the open kitchen and studio floor, grounding the industrial scale of the loft and adding warmth that the plaster walls and concrete countertops deliberately withhold.
Built-in storage was designed throughout the studio to keep surfaces clear during shoots — a practical interior design decision that makes the space more functional without compromising the openness of the floor plan. An HVAC system was fully upgraded as part of the gut renovation scope, with a water boiler system installed to support the commercial kitchen's hot water demands throughout long production days.
The Commercial Kitchen
The commercial kitchen was designed in consultation with Chef Jenny Dorsey and built to accommodate the full demands of professional food production. Multiple full-sized refrigerators, a dedicated washing station, and a commercial-grade prep station are positioned within an open kitchen layout that connects directly to the studio floor. The kitchen opens through drywall cutouts that reveal the professional environment beyond — a structural design move that creates depth and narrative in every photograph taken from the studio.
A floating island anchors the open floor plan and acts as the focal point of the space — the loft conversion element that draws the eye through the industrial scale of the high ceilings and grounds the commercial kitchen beyond it. The island functions as prep surface, plating station, and photographic subject simultaneously.
The Result
The Cooktop Studio has been featured in numerous Eater videos and in Pharrell's Entrepreneur video — a commercial loft renovation in Brooklyn that performs as both a working professional kitchen and a designed interior worthy of the camera. For businesses, photographers, creative studios, and production companies considering a commercial loft renovation in NYC — whether in Industry City, SoHo, Tribeca, the Flatiron District, Chelsea, Garment District, or anywhere between Penn Station and the outer boroughs — this project demonstrates what Mammoth delivers when the brief demands both design and performance under one roof.
We were honored to have our design featured in numerous Eater videos as well as Pharrell’s “Entrepreneur” Video
