Inside the Stink Studios Space in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Finding the perfect office space for 50 people in New York City is a challenge, but throw in the need for shooting facilities, post-production and client-friendly conference rooms, and you’ve got a truly daunting task. 

In 2017, Stink Studios was bursting at the seams, and while we loved Dumbo, our office had crossed the line from pleasantly buzzing to noticeably cramped. We looked at a number of neighborhoods in our search for a new home, but kept coming back to Red Hook. It’s a rare part of Brooklyn where warehouses and ports still outnumber lofts and condos by a large degree, and we were able to find a unique studio space in a former dry dock facility that is also home to Tesla and the kitchen outpost of an Italian bakery owned by Starbucks. 

Working with local architects and designers, we were able to build out the new Stink Studios space to fit our specific needs. Early on we knew that we wanted to devote a large portion of the footprint to areas for making, including a cyc wall, edit bay, VO booth and large collaborative space. This has allowed us to shoot TV commercials, develop and test interactive installations, brainstorm creative campaigns, and host events all under one roof.

One of the most exciting features of Stink Studios’ Red Hook location, though, is the extra breathing room that allows staff to think creatively and really own the space. The versatile layout, from the collapsible bleachers to the roof access with uninterrupted views of the Manhattan skyline, has served as inspiration for an array of personal projects. Weekends have seen the office become a basecamp for short films, QA lab for game development, and even a workshop for a technical director who moonlights as an amateur luthier. 

And while we do have the obligatory cold brew and beer on tap, we made a conscious decision to leave our Ping-Pong table at the old office. Our studio space is designed to foster creativity and innovation, not to trick people into thinking all-nighters are something to be relished.

Red Hook provides a lot of inspiration for us outside the walls of our studios. Local institutions such as Pioneer Works, the Waterfront Museum and Red Hook Labs give us access to culture beyond just the advertising industry, and seasoned pioneers like Raaka Chocolate and Uhuru Design (our studio’s previous tenants), inspire us to lean into our background as makers and doers. Our vibrant neighborhood has a storied history of creation and innovation, and we look forward to contributing to that legacy.