Awards
Documentation
Citation of Merit
An Inventory/Survey Citation of Merit is given for Nour Jafar’s student research project on the Philadelphia Police Administration Building, also known as the “Roundhouse.” This paper is a notable contribution to the discourse on architectural preservation and social justice which surrounds the building. Jafar documents the technological advancements and material innovations that characterize the Roundhouse and engages critically with its fraught history as a site of violence and trauma. The paper explores the potential consequences of redevelopment, particularly its impact on surrounding communities, and proposes thoughtful conservation strategies that balance the building’s architectural significance with the need for reparative justice. By integrating historical documentation with contemporary social concerns, this research provides an essential resource for understanding the Roundhouse’s role in Philadelphia’s post-war architectural landscape and its ongoing significance.
“As student project, it’s most impressive. The historic context in the report makes the case for this as an important cultural resource, as well as describing the architecture and conservation concerns.”
Nour Jafar (Student and Author); Frank Matero and Irene Matteini (Professors)
Location
750 Race StPhiladelphia, PA, 19106
Case Study House No. 21
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Designer(s)
Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham
Architect
In 1953, architects Robert Geddes, Mel Brecher, George Qualls, and Warren “Barney” Cunningham co-founded a collaborative practice, Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham: Architects (also known as GBQC Architects), in Philadelphia, later adding an office in Princeton. GBQC won national and international competitions and awards, starting with being runner-up in the Sydney Opera House design competition (1955). Other notable projects include: the Pender Labs at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania; the Police Headquarters of the City of Philadelphia; Richard Stockton College in New Jersey; Hill Hall at Rutgers University-Newark; the College of Liberal Arts of Southern Illinois University; the Architects Housing in Trenton, New Jersey; Princeton Community Housing’s Griggs Farm neighborhood; and probably best known, the Dining Hall and Birch Garden quad at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.