The Philadelphia Police have resided at “The Roundhouse” on Race Street since 1963. Work is underway to relocate police headquarters to the old Inquirer building at Broad & Callowhill St. As they leave, what will become of the Roundhouse, one of Philly’s most polarizing buildings?
The Roundhouse was designed to house the Philadelphia Police Department by notable Philly firm Geddes, Brecher, Qualls & Cunningham in 1959 and was dedicated in 1963. It was born of modernist optimism, an important public investment in a depressed area (Philly's skid row), and a building that was intended to be inviting (at least compared to the police’s former hub in City Hall’s basement).
The Roundhouse is most notable for its undulating, curvilinear form, comprised of concrete panels that fit together like puzzle pieces, with three floors cantilevered above a solid concrete base with banded windows. It has more than 400 bronze-tinted windows, each set into pressed rectangular slots with deep sills, giving the building a waffle-like texture. It was only the second building in the U.S. using the Schokbeton method to post-tension the concrete, so it’s also known for its pioneering engineering. Builders used a structural system consisting of pre-cast floor and façade panels which were tied together with post-tensioning cables.
The Roundhouse, however, has not aged well. Some problems were immediately apparent, such as the impracticality of fitting rectangular furniture against circular walls. The building was poorly ventilated and developed mold and mildew problems. The concrete walls made repairing wiring and plumbing difficult. As the concrete has decomposed over the years, holes have developed in the facade, inviting drafts as well as insects.
With the Police soon vacating the roundhouse, talk has turned to rehab and renewal versus demolition of the building.
Model of building & photo taken soon after construction complete.
Block of buildings that were torn down, where Roundhouse now sits, 1960
1961 1962 Today
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