Bjarke Ingels is notably one of the most prolific architects of our time - with works like 2 World Trade Center and Via 57 West, it's pretty surprising that his next New York City project is the 40th Police Precinct in the Bronx.
The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) was chosen to design the three-story, 59-foot-tall, 43,500-square-foot station house in Melrose, which will apparently cost around $50 million.
Designed to look like a stack of bricks, the building's design goes back to its roots; as per the project description on the BIG website:
"The 43,500-square-foot building takes shape after it's basic requirements, where individual volumes contain specific elements of program. From the outside, the 40th Precinct resembles a stack of bricks, referencing the rusticated bases of early NYC Police Stations. Inside, the station is enhanced with amenities that encourage dialogue with the community while providing spaces for officers to reduce stress and promote physical activity."
As for those amenities, The Real Deal reports that the new silver design will have a green roof, as well as a community room with its own street-level entrance, information kiosks, and space for classes - which marks the first ever for a NYPD station house.
Not only that, but the project will also make room for a courtyard with a training area and climbing walls to "promote physical activity" amongst the 40th Precinct officers.
As plans for the 40th precinct come alive, the station - currently located at 257 Alexander Avenue - is set to relocate. According to The Architect's Newspaper:
"The 40th Precinct includes three South Bronx neighborhoods: Mott Haven, Port Morris, and Melrose. The squad will move out of its current location, a 1922 three-story Renaissance Revival station house, and into a new home on a city-owned lot bounded by East 149th Street, Saint Ann's, Westchester, and Brook Avenues."
Furthermore, the Bjarke Ingels-designed new home for the 40th Precinct is expected to see completion sometime in 2020.
