Glenn Ligon's studio is tucked away in one of Brooklyn's inconspicuous industrial hubs. Set within the Navy Yards, the space feels open, spacious and raw - yet quietly refined and unmistakably contemporary. Its architect, Ravi Raj's goal was to craft an interior that would be functional and appropriate for art production: 'robust and flexible.' Yet at the same time, this artist's studio offers moments of rich materiality and high craftsmanship, which are also fully in tune with its owner's creative spirit.
Explore Glenn Ligon's studio with its architect, Ravi Raj
Raj designed the studio interior around a central ‘common room’. Off it, a series of spaces fan out in a pinwheel configuration, covering all stages of making, preparation, storage, documentation, and archiving of Ligon's artwork.
Raj says: 'For this artist's studio, at the site of a completely raw, industrial space, we wanted to orchestrate a specific flow and program that was aligned with Ligon's artistic practice, where the physical space could facilitate the creative process. Pre-existing materials that comprised the space, like concrete and steel, inspired us to lean into utilizing hyper-industrial materials that would complement and enhance the existing palette, reconfiguring the studio's spaces with a kit of its own parts.'
A series of freestanding walls loosely define the different areas, gently enough but pragmatically, while also providing blank wall surface for art display, pin-up boards, library shelving and a studio pantry.
A material palette made up predominantly of galvanized sheet metal panels and prefinished maple plywood echoes the industrial building's existing fabric; the metal hue matches the exposed ductwork, and the wood colouring features in custom rolling tables and storage systems, softening the utilitarian feel of the space.
Material surfaces are at places polished and at others left rough and exposed, adding to the overall interior's creative balance and identity, while establishing a 'visual continuity rooted in craft and industry,' the architect writes.
He continues: 'The result is a robust yet flexible workspace that reflects Ligon’s practice — disciplined, materially conscious, and deeply engaged with both process and presentation.'
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