What is not a movie studio but occupies 35 acres and, when completed, will look like a small city with five-story buildings, a subway station, and one- and two-story houses on a suburban-style street? Answer: the future 2.4-million-sq-ft New York City Police Academy. The $1.5-billion-plus project’s $656-million first phase is expected to start construction in a few months.
For the designer, the sprawling site is confined relative to an extensive overall program, which includes 20 buildings, and many constraints. “Lots of conditions make this project unique,” says Anthony Fieldman, project principal in the New York City office of Perkins & Will Architects. The firm is architect-of-record and co-design architect with Michael Fieldman Architects, New York City.