Let’s establish a best practice for responsible preservation with the Roundhouse

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The Roundhouse, located on Race Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

By Tya Winn and David Feldman, For The Inquirer

The Roundhouse, formerly the Police Administration Building, was denied historical designation in November, putting the future of the notorious structure in jeopardy.

Completed in 1962, it was considered innovative in its construction, and one of the city’s best examples of midcentury modern design in its early use of precast concrete in facade implementation. It won the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal, one of the highest design honors in the nation, in 1963, and remains a relic of the Dilworth administration and the Ed Bacon City Planning Commission — considered the golden era of American planning.

This history is held in parallel with the difficult reality of its carceral history and visible testimony to police brutality and urban renewal.