In renovating the Los Angeles Police Dept.’s Metropolitan Division Facility—built in 1966 like a bunker and associated with past department scandals—the builders say they aimed to transform the structure from its dark past into a beacon of neighborhood safety. Strategic carvings allow diffused sunlight into high-priority and frequently occupied spaces. A central “slot” transmits daylight by removing narrow portions of the floor and roof in the east-west direction, creating an interconnecting central circulation hub at the heart of the building. Daylight from a new rooftop monitor flows through the slot and glass bridgework into adjacent spaces. New glazing, lighting, greenery, public art and the reuse of salvaged materials increase perimeter security while softening the facility’s image. An inefficient driveway was reclaimed as a community pocket park.

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