By: Meyer Wolfsheim

Dubbed the world’s first “vertical film studio,” the groundbreaking complex includes 11 sound stages stacked across three floors, a unique feat in production design, especially in a dense urban hub like NYC.

The New York Post first spotlighted this state-of-the-art facility as a blueprint for how the entertainment industry can evolve in space-limited cities, and it’s already creating a ripple effect in how movies and TV are made in the five boroughs.

Developer Adam Gordon, whose real estate firm launched the Wildflower project in 2017, told the New York Post that the goal was to create permanent creative jobs in the city and provide a true home for filmmakers. He partnered with Hollywood icon Robert De Niro and Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal to turn that vision into a reality.

“What we lacked in New York,” Rosenthal told the New York Post, “was a facility made by creatives, for creatives.”

De Niro’s connection to the city and his frustration with limited space options inspired the vertical approach. As reported by the New York Post, De Niro even sent Gordon and his son Raphael, a Wildflower partner, on a national tour to analyze how other studios operated. What they found — or didn’t — became the foundation for their new model.

The New York Post detailed how architect Bjarke Ingels, known for Manhattan’s VIA 57 West, led the design effort. Ingels told the New York Post that compressing every production need — scene shops, sound stages, support spaces — into a vertical design was “quintessentially New York.”

Each of the 11 stages is paired with identical dressing rooms, carpentry shops, and hair and makeup spaces — ensuring equity for talent and efficiency for crews. The largest stage spans 16,500 square feet. As the New York Post reported, the studio even has six “elephant elevators” and a truck turntable inspired by Jay Leno’s garage, enabling seamless material transport throughout the complex.

The New York Post also noted that Wildflower isn’t just about production — it’s a holistic creative space. A single commissary hosts all cast and crew equally, a nod to De Niro’s insistence on collaboration. Visiting chefs from the James Beard Foundation elevate mealtime from mundane to memorable.

The studio also sets a new bar for sustainability. According to the New York Post, it includes 150,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels and fresh air circulation systems that vent chemical fumes hourly. Gordon proudly told the New York Post it’s “the most sustainable film studio in the world.”

As of now, seven of the stages are booked through May, the New York Post reported. Though most productions remain under wraps, Gordon confirmed the first footage filmed on site was from Season 2 of CBS’s NYC-based drama Elsbeth.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed 2025 budget, which the New York Post covered extensively, includes major boosts to New York’s film tax credit — something expected to supercharge demand for studios like Wildflower. If approved, it will lock in benefits for filmmakers through 2036, including a $100 million fund for indie creators.

Rosenthal summed up the project in a statement to the New York Post: “Wildflower finally gives this city the world-class production home it has always deserved.”