Glendale, CA

The new Glendale Police Department facility finds its place in the stylistically crowded Civic Center by abstractly responding to its context. Rather than being designed in a specific genre - as its neighbors are - it strives for timelessness by responding to contextual styles, while maintaining a contemporary attitude. Thus preserving the importance of civic architecture and emphasizing urbanism.

This 263,000 sf building is massed to minimize bulkiness. With a mix of public and private uses - including administrative offices, community assembly rooms, jail, and a dispatch center - the plan balances openness with security. The entrance is pulled to the corner to engage the City Hall, and is set in a stone pavilion that is visually distinct from the rest of the building. It is in the first in a series of design events that breaks down the overall mass: a stretch of curtain wall with vertically articulated mullions recalls City Hall's art deco character, without being explicitly historicist; and a painted slate blue tower injects color into the composition and balances a more solid red stucco pavilion at the far end. The result is a contemporary collage that preserves a pedestrian scaled environment. The entire fourth story is set back, in order to preserve the third floor cornice line of other structures on the street, while accommodating the program.

An adjacent garage reacts to its surroundings with an abstract pattern of modular panels. The cast forms break up the façade into vertical masses, proportionately comparable to an apartment building across the street. The effort reveals that the entire project contributes to the life of Glendale's streets, fulfilling a civic need through both its program and design. The building succeeds in being cohesive and contemporary - acknowledging the city's past while looking forward to the future.