Artist’s Studio is a minimalist space located in Brooklyn, New York, designed by Ravi Raj Architect. Within this industrial landscape, Ravi Raj discovered something profound in the bones of Glenn Ligon’s future studio: a vocabulary of materials that had been speaking for over a century, waiting for the right translator. The massive console that now anchors the 8,000-square-foot space seems to have emerged from this conversation between past and present, its weathered steel surfaces carrying the memory of maritime construction while supporting the demands of contemporary art-making.

Ligon’s practice – which interrogates language, identity, and American history through painting, neon, and multimedia installations – required what Raj calls a “robust and flexible” environment. The central console embodies this duality perfectly. Fabricated from steel salvaged from the Navy Yards themselves, its industrial materiality provides the durability necessary for large-scale art production, while its careful proportions and refined joinery elevate it beyond mere utility. The piece functions simultaneously as work surface, storage system, and display platform, adapting to the fluid demands of an artist whose work ranges from intimate text paintings to room-sized installations.

The genius of Raj’s approach lies in what he terms “iterating on existing materials.” Rather than imposing a foreign aesthetic, he allowed the site’s industrial DNA to guide his material choices. The console’s steel components retain their original patina – oxidation patterns that map decades of exposure to Brooklyn’s maritime climate. Yet these weathered surfaces are joined with precision-milled timber elements, creating a dialogue between industrial heritage and contemporary craft that mirrors Ligon’s own artistic methodology.

This material conversation extends throughout the studio, where raw concrete floors meet carefully detailed millwork, and exposed steel beams frame views of the East River. Ellie Stathaki observes that the space feels “open, spacious and raw – yet quietly refined and unmistakably contemporary.” This apparent contradiction reflects Raj’s sophisticated understanding of how creative environments should function. Artists need spaces that can absorb the mess and intensity of production while providing moments of clarity for reflection and critique.