How the team behind Apple TV+'s "The Studio" recreated a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired building from scratch
Following his recent Emmy wins, art director Brian Grego explained how his team designed and built a convincing Frank Lloyd Wright-style building from scratch for Apple TV+’s The Studio—an ambitious project that involved creating an entirely original Wright-inspired structure.
“One of the biggest compliments I’ve received about the show comes from people who work in art departments, who do what I do, and they’ve asked me: ‘Did you film in an actual Frank Lloyd Wright building?’”
“We thought, ‘come on, you should know,’ but because so many things came together in such a magical way, what we did is almost a magic trick—it’s a very delicate illusion.” The team’s goal was to design a realistic headquarters for the show’s fictional company, Continental Studios, portrayed as a once-thriving Hollywood studio that flourished in the 1920s and 1930s.
After researching traditional Hollywood studio styles, production designer Julie Berghoff decided that the building should feel like something the most famous American architect might have designed.
“Most of us have worked on big Los Angeles film lots, so we have an intuition about how they look: some are more Spanish, others more Art Deco,” Grego explained. “Julie looked at architects working at that time, and something about Frank Lloyd Wright resonated with her.”
In the 1920s, Wright was at the height of his fame, designing major Los Angeles landmarks such as Hollyhock House (1921) and Ennis House (1925). Instead of simply mimicking his style, the production team set out to create an original, believable Wright design, with the architect’s name even referenced several times in the series.
“We were stressed,” Grego admitted. “I have to give Julie a lot of credit—she’s an incredibly brave designer. I think some designers wouldn’t even try; I’m really proud she had the conviction to go for it.”
The idea wasn’t to copy a real Wright building but to imagine what he might have created if a major Hollywood studio had commissioned him in the 1920s. “We wanted to be inspired by Frank, but we wanted it to feel unique to Hollywood and to Continental Studios,” said Grego.
The team spent weeks studying Wright’s Los Angeles works and techniques, striving to capture his spirit while adapting it to their needs. “It’s not an exact copy—we tried to modify it and make it work for us in many different ways.”
The Studio follows Matt Remick (played by Seth Rogen), the newly appointed head of Continental Studios, and the building itself needed to convey the grandeur of a bygone era. “The intention was to suggest that Continental Studios belonged to a past age—it was once grand and magnificent, but we’ve since moved beyond that time,” explained Grego.
The exterior was constructed beside a parking lot on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles, while a two-story interior set was built on stage. Described in the show as being designed in Wright’s “signature Mayan Revival style,” the building incorporated his trademark textile blocks, a key detail that helped sell the illusion.
“Every house he designed had a different textile block,” Grego said. “He created a new pattern for each building, so what would he have done for Continental Studios?” “Then Julie and our graphic designer Zach Fannin—who’s brilliant—said, ‘Well, maybe it’s a C: that could be a motif, a theme we can use.’”
For the set, the production team manufactured thousands of custom blocks using a mix of techniques. “Okay, we have thousands of these textile blocks to make on time, so we were doing CNC routing, laser cutting, and also foam casting,” Grego explained. “It was a complete blend of different fabrication methods, and then everything was sprayed with plaster to tie it all together.”
To replicate Wright’s signature look, the team carefully imitated the distinctive concrete finishes used in his Los Angeles homes.
“One of the really unique features of [Wright’s] houses was the concrete—he mixed something into it that gave it a sheen,” Grego said. “At Hollyhock House, all the concrete has brass chips, so when you’re there in person, there’s this subtle glimmer,” he continued. “[To recreate that] our plasterer sprayed the wall and then threw different materials, like welding residue, onto it while it was still wet.”
To complete the illusion, set decorator Claire Kaufman furnished the studio with pieces in Wright’s style. “He’s known for designing basically every piece of furniture used in his projects, so we thought: ‘Well, he would have done that here too,’” Grego said.
Working under intense deadlines, the team built much of the furniture—such as desks, chairs, and conference tables—from scratch. “Claire started six weeks before we filmed, so the ability to design, build, and dress the set in that timeframe is truly remarkable,” said Grego. “She found some incredible things and actually built a lot—like the huge walnut desk in Matt’s office—they designed and constructed it.”
Ultimately, Grego emphasized that achieving a high level of quality was essential to the show’s tone and credibility. “I think the focus on the art of making the show was very deliberate and intentional, because I think you can get away with making fun of something if you show that you really know it,” he said.
“That’s why it was so important for us to make something excellent.”
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