The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and Docomomo US/Greater Philadelphia recently partnered to host Roundhouse Reimagined, a half-day symposium showcasing responses to a call for concepts for the former Police Administration Building, known as the Roundhouse, writes Kimberly Haas for Hidden City.
“The idea of the symposium is to shine a spotlight on the building, to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds,” said Dan Macey, president of DocomomoPHL.
Envisioned in 1959, the Police Administration Building was meant to embody the reformist spirit of Philadelphia’s first Democratic previous mayors, Joseph Clark and Richardson Dilworth. Designed as a modernist symbol of progress, it aimed to redefine the reputation of a department long linked to corruption. Under Mayor Frank Rizzo, however, the building earned a darker legacy, becoming synonymous with police brutality, particularly against Black residents.
The police vacated the building in 2022, and although it has remained unused since, it is still a striking and significant architectural landmark. The symposium held on October 29 aimed to spark interest and support from the architectural, design, and preservation communities, as well as the general public.
“I think the exercise for ideas was most valuable in engaging people with the building,” said Jack Pyburn, an architectural historian at Georgia Technical University.
Read more about the recent Roundhouse Reimagined symposium in Hidden City.
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