Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) unveiled its design for a new 45,000-sf police station that will be located in the Bronx. The 40th Precinct station will be a ground-up project with an exterior that resembles a stack of bricks, a throwback to the origins of early “rusticated” New York City police stations.
In addition to being a throwback, this stacked brick style is also meant to enable “visual connections” within the building, with each block being arranged around a central atrium, Dezeen reports. Each of these bricks has been designed to contain a specific element of the internal program, creating a type of urban plan, not at the scale of a city, but at that of a building.
Despite its throwback to the police stations of yesteryear, the 40th Precinct building looks more like it is from the future than the past. The building will have an incredibly modern aesthetic while remaining highly functional. The new structure will also sport a feature that will be a first for a NYPD station: a green roof. The green roof is just one of the features designed with the environment in mind. The building will also feature non-reflective materials like sandblasted concrete in an effort to optimize the building’s energy performance and clerestory windows will help to bring natural light into the center of the building. BIG is predicting LEED Silver certification.
According to the firm, the interior of the station is “enhanced with amenities that encourage dialogue with the community while providing spaces for officers to reduce stress and promote physical activity.” Included in these amenities are an exercise courtyard and a climbing wall.
But if dialogue is what they want, this building can’t just be for New York’s finest. Therefore, it will also feature the first-ever community meeting room in a New York City police station. This space will be easily accessible from street-level with its own entrance and will also contain information kiosks and space for classes and events. The hope is that this area will help to encourage civil engagement with the precinct.
Rendering Courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group
Rendering Courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group
Rendering Courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group
Model Image Courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group
Rendering Courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group
Related Stories
| Jun 25, 2014
AIA Foundation launches Regional Resilient Design Studio
The Studio is the first to be launched as part of the AIA Foundation’s National Resilience Program, which plans to open a total of five Regional Resilience Design Studios nationwide in collaboration with Architecture for Humanity, and Public Architecture.
| Jun 25, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Spring House, Cincinnati’s Union Terminal among 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2014
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its annual list of 11 Most Endangered Historical Sites in the United States for 2014.
| Jun 18, 2014
Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components
The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.
| Jun 16, 2014
6 U.S. cities at the forefront of innovation districts
A new Brookings Institution study records the emergence of “competitive places that are also cool spaces.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 11, 2014
Bill signing signals approval to revitalize New Orleans’ convention center corridor
A plan to revitalize New Orleans' Convention Center moves forward after Louisiana governor signs bill.
| Jun 11, 2014
5 ways Herman Miller's new office concept rethinks the traditional workplace
Today's technologies allow us to work anywhere. So why come to an office at all? Herman Miller has an answer.
| Jun 11, 2014
Koolhaas’ OMA teams with chemical company to study link between color and economy
Dutch company AkzoNobel is partnering with Rem Koolhaas' firm OMA to study how the application of colorful paints and coatings can affect a city's economic development.
| Jun 9, 2014
Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program
The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.
Smart Buildings | Jun 8, 2014
Big Data: How one city took control of its facility assets with data
Over the past few years, Buffalo has developed a cutting-edge facility management program to ensure it's utilizing its facilities and operations as efficiently, effectively, and sustainably as possible.