Alexander Innes' Top Williamsburg Locations

January 21st 2019

Alexander Innes is an Art Director, Designer and Artist in Brooklyn, New York.

He works with artists, brands and progressive thinkers, creating work in pen, paint and pixel. His studio output spans everything from brand identities and book design, to record sleeves and commissioned artworks. Across each medium, he aims to elevate the ordinary and tell visual stories with distinct character.

Alex recently re-branded Location Department with a new logo and visual identity, and overhauled the website design to provide a newly energized and intuitive platform.

In our second Scout feature, Alexander Innes shares a few of his favorite locations in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Williamsburg - Location 2047

INTERVIEW

How did you become a Designer?

I’m not quite sure! Definitely through the back door. I studied Performance Art, and after graduating I set up a cabaret company with my friend. We did everything ourselves – we made costumes and props, we wrote scripts, we edited video. Very DIY. I got completely engrossed in creating elaborate poster designs… and realized that was my favorite part. I did a million club flyers and little design jobs for a while before finally working at some design agencies.

What have been your career highlights?

I just finished a really fab artwork project for Harrods’ new menswear department in London. I made a series of collages, with cut-up old photos of the store, paint and gold leaf. They gave me access to an archive of incredible vintage photos of Harrods. So I was scanning, cutting, pasting and painting. I love projects that really transform something – whether it’s a brand, a piece of printed design, or a physical space. The Location Department brand and website is also a good example! We completely revamped the look of it and improved its functionality.

Where do you get your inspiration?

All over the place, it’s hard to pinpoint. I have lists and lists of visual stuff that I bookmark for a rainy day. Film title sequences, restaurant menus, falling apart old shop signs, silly things you overhear on the subway, animated GIFs – anything.

How long have you lived in Williamsburg and what is it about the community you love?

About 3 years. I like that it has a bit of everything. Old, new, fancy, cheap. I like that the buildings and vistas are a mixture of old industrial and residential. Unfortunately though, it’s completely over-gentrified, so the less-advantaged communities and the artists have mostly been pushed out for shiny stuff. As harsh at that is, I suppose it’s part of the neighborhood’s story. Williamsburg has seen it all. Ask me again in a few years, and I might not love it. For a reality jolt, I’d definitely recommend watching the documentary Los Sures for a look at the Southside of Williamsburg in the 70s and 80s, when it was one of the poorest neighborhoods. Then after that, go and have a steak at Peter Luger.

Williamsburg - Location 2048

Williamsburg - Location 6118

What drew you to the locations you selected?

I like that they’re all open lofty spaces that have been repurposed from something. They have history, even though they’ve been transformed into something else. Locations 2047 and 2048 are in an old Jazz-age ballroom where Tito Puente used to play. So the lofts have high, beamed ceilings and odd angles and features (and possibly ghosts!) Location 2052 is in a former underwear factory, so I imagine the building would have been filled with looms and cutting rooms before it was reconstructed. And I love the old beams, wooden ceilings and atmosphere of 6118.

Architecturally what inspires you?

Open airy spaces, buildings with history, and lots of light! I like big old warehouses and factories, where you can see elements of the building’s past life. And also spaces that are cleverly thought out for living and working. I stayed at a friend’s flat in the Barbican in London last year and loved it. Everything was considered when they designed the original flats. Even the post box and the spyhole in the door are ingeniously designed.