The Plan: Quiet on Set at Pier 94 Studios Near Hudson River Park
By Amanda Schiavo March 25, 2026 6:00 am
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Sunset Pier 94 Studios, the first purpose-built film and television studio in Manhattan, officially opened Jan. 22.
The 232,000-square-foot, 5.4-acre studio facility sits along the Hudson River at 755 12th Avenue, near where the West Side Highway meets 54th Street. The six-stage studio is a joint venture involving Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties and Blackstone Real Estate, along with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), as well as community and political leaders. The studio is already being used to produce the new season of Paramount+’s Dexter: Resurrection.
“Sunset Pier 94 Studios clearly demonstrates the ability of public-private partnerships to enhance New York City’s creative future and quality of life,” Barry Langer, Vornado’s executive vice president of development and co-head of real estate, said in a statement. “In addition to producing Manhattan’s first
purpose-built studio environment, this project is delivering new jobs, billions of dollars in economic impact, and a host of public amenities, including new bike paths and enhanced access to Hudson River Park.”
The developers broke ground in October 2023, although way back in 2009 the plans called for the pier to be transformed into another event space, similar to Chelsea Piers.
Designed by Gensler, the studio features soundstages, four private production suites — equipped with executive offices, writers rooms, conference space, communal kitchens and even some private outdoor spaces — green rooms, wardrobe rooms, mill shops, editing bays and makeup rooms.
The six stages range in size from 9,000 to 19,000 square feet, and feature high ceilings so the television and film productions can make the most out of the spaces, Leslie Jabs, principal at Gensler, told Commercial Observer during a tour of the studio. The design of the stages is column-free and long span, and they are completely soundproof.
The level of noise in the area would be enough to shut down any TV or film production, but when the stage door closes, the outside world vanishes. It’s almost like being sealed in a Tupperware container. Standing in a massive, all-black space, it’s impossible not to let the imagination run wild thinking about the types of movies and shows that might be created there.
“The productions that come in provide all their own goodies,” Jabs said. “We just had to design for the studio stage to really be flexible — flatness of the floors, having a hanging grid that takes the right amount of load for lights, speakers and all of those kinds of things.”
In addition to its function as a production studio, Pier 94 also provides public benefits that include new restrooms for Hudson River Park, 25,000 square feet of waterfront open space and pier access, and almost 2,000 square feet of community amenity space.
“Sunset Pier 94 Studios is a prime example of what we can achieve when the public and private sectors work together,” Giacomo Landi, NYCEDC’s executive vice president, said in the statement. “The state-of-the-art studio is not only a boost to the film and TV industry in New York City, it’s a boost to the neighboring community.”
Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.
