Description

TGAS’ fire station headquarters in Davenport, Iowa communicates history without trying to “reenact” it. The oldest operating fire station west of the Mississippi River is annexed with an addition that shortens the fire vehicles’ response time by pointing the doors directly to the main street. The extension also contains a dormitory, a computer room, a fitness room, a training tower, and other support services, keeping the fire department abreast of the latest developments in firefighting.

This composition makes an architectural statement about the state-of-the-art efficiency modern fire apparatus require, such that the 1902 Italianate buff-brick structure and the new extension pay tribute to the history of the local fire department. “A historic and contemporary building are married together,” said Galante. “The glass box separates the historic and the contemporary and pays respect to both of them and lets you experience the gap in-between.”

This was a workable compromise between two conflicting political influences in the design. “Most of the committee wanted to keep the historic building, but the city’s financial manager said, ‘We want this to be the most contemporary building possible,’ ” said Galante. “So we picked up on the midcentury modern style and added contemporary edges to it.”