Domino!

June 6th, 2007 -

The Domino Sugar Refinery - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Photos are from within this massive industrial complex on the East River. Shut down several years ago, Domino still houses hundreds of pieces of heavy industrial equipment. Abandoned offices, lunchrooms, science labs, locker rooms and loading bays are in one building, while another houses floor after floor of vats, boilers and furnaces. Molasses covers every surface, burnt brown sugar cakes the floor, and a sickening sweet stench pervades the entire complex. Domino is one of the last remnants of Brooklyn's industrial heritage and may soon be landmarked.

Three other photographers have shots from inside this complex: F-Trainer, Blue Jake and Mercurialn.


This Way Out


Molasses and Insulation


The Locker Room


Peeling


Decayed Bay


Ground Floor


Furnace


Peeling Stairwell


Open Windows


Hatches and Columns


String Machine


Tangled


Tripod


Massive Blue Bin


Inside the Skybridge


Glass and Wire


Science Lab/"For Food Only"


Domino Tower


Sugar Coated


The view from above - Kent Street


Company Colors/Inside the Tower


Triptych

15 comments:

Meghan O'Hara said...

Domino!!

It's like you're going 'all city'

I think you may need to make a tangent photo essay on sugar processing plants.

Nate said...

i'm liking the furnace room, which I had not seen until now.

Nathan Kensinger said...

Yeah, the furnace room was day two... deep in the bowels of the building...

Devon said...

These images are breathtaking...How in the world did you get access?

Anonymous said...

You have an incredible eye for composition and color...rot and decay never looked so good...The end. Of an era...

dalton said...

These are amazing. They totally blow me away.

Katie said...

Great photos. I live right near there. Hope they don't tear it down! How did you get inside?

Nathan Kensinger said...

Alot of people have asked about gaining access to the Domino plant. Unfortunately, its currently closed to the general public. I hope they keep the buildings standing, as a landmark, so that everyone can go inside one day! The place would make a great museum.

Don said...

Wow, those are very cool shots. Back when the plant was still operational I used to live a few blocks away and always wondered about the inside-- thanks for sharing.

Rodrigo said...

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Anonymous said...

i acctualy tried getting in there today but its all fenced up. ill probably come back wiht some pliars or sumthing for the fence. anyway, some of the people are wrong, this place wouldnt be cool if they would make it a and mark. that would meen that it would lose its beaty, by beaty i mean theat feeling that you get knowing that 11 acers worth of heave metal ocnstruction is all left to you. besides, if it woudl become a land mark then they would clean it and that woudl preety much suck too.

Nathan Kensinger said...

If it there was any possibility that the developers who bought this complex would let it sit in a state of permanent abandonment, then - as a photographer - I would prefer that. But asking New York City to keep large swaths of industrial land abandoned just so people can take photographs seems somewhat unreasonable. And since the only choice is between landmarking or demolishing these buildings, I'd prefer landmarking.

I'm just trying to catch these places before they are gone.

Dennis said...

I worked there for 24 years, and can't believe the way it looks now.
I left in 2000 after the 18 month strike. Great pictures which bring back alot of memories for me.

Chic Man said...

I worked at Domino for 26 years. I can give you the real name to some of those photos that you have.
Frank

Nathan Kensinger said...

Dennis and Chic Man - I would definitely like to hear more about your time working at this refinery. It was hard to imagine it has only been closed down for a few years... the interior of the factory is now so decayed.

you can reach me at this email:
thegowanus@yahoo.com