Vishaan Chakrabarti on community, architecture, and what makes a good playground

When architect Vishaan Chakrabarti thinks about good design, he imagines kids playing together outside on a playground.

Not just any playground – but the one at the re-designed Domino Sugar Factory, on Brooklyn’s waterfront in New York City. It re-opened in the fall of 2023. The transformation of the 19th century refinery into a 15-story office building cost $2.5 billion.

That playground is left out of most of the articles that marvel at the project’s innovative, sustainable engineering. But even so, its lead architect thinks most about that playground outside.

He joins us to talk about priorities of design, communal joy, and his new book.