Every day, thousands of young people gather after school at Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the city to play, create, and grow. At the Thomas S. Murphy Clubhouse in Flatbush, Brooklyn, they also swim. The pool has undergone its first-ever renovation, which included new finishes, reshaping the pool floor, updating the lighting, changing the gutter and return systems, providing de-humidification systems, and a generous, new entry lobby.

Commencing at the foot of the stairs, a 100-foot glass tile mosaic captures the lobby space and draws visitors’ eyes into the pool room. To create a unique and personal connection to the pool, we photographed and filmed student volunteers from the club underwater. These images were transformed into a mosaic collage that echoes the movement of the pool. We worked closely with the club on the imagery to capture the fluid movement of the swimmers, complete with bubbles and shadows. The pool renovation enlivens the cellar level space and expands the aquatics program as a prime feature of the club.

Owner: Madison Square Boys & Girls Club

Owner’s Representative: LOM Properties

Pool Consultant: Integrated Aquatics Engineering

MEP: Rosenthal Engineering

Structural: Alnour Consulting Engineering

General Contractor: Erin Construction and Development

Awards:

2021, AIA New York State, Design Award of Merit

2020, Society of American Registered Architects (SARA), National Council Design Award of Merit