FDNY Rescue Company 1

The headquarters for Rescue Co. 1 is home to the first fire rescue company in the United States. The project was executed within a highly compressed schedule following the destruction of the original headquarters when an adjacent building collapsed. The new headquarters includes salvaged and reinstalled stone and ironwork from the original Napoleon LeBrun facade. The design includes several specific features developed in conjunction with Rescue 1 including open showers and drains on the apparatus floor and overhead suspension of various pieces of large rescue equipment including their water rescue Zodiac boat.

Recognizing that the 25’ wide, three-storey building would be dwarfed by its neighbors, the deep articulated street facade with its central “1” cared into its cornice, was designed to provide a significant architectural presence for this important, historic civic institution.

Project Data
Client:The City of New York Department of Design & Construction + FDNY
Construction Cost: $3,200,000
Services: Full Architectural Services
Completed: 1988