Editing Brutalism (section)

== Police Administration Building ==

The Police Administration Building (1963), commonly called the Roundhouse for its distinctive circular form, represents Philadelphia's most prominent Brutalist structure. Designed by Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham, the building houses police headquarters in a concrete fortress that expresses both institutional authority and architectural ambition. The building's curved concrete walls, cantilevered upper floors, and fortress-like massing create a commanding presence at the edge of Center City, while its innovative precast concrete construction demonstrated new construction possibilities.<ref name="tatum"/>

The Roundhouse remains controversial decades after completion. Defenders appreciate its bold form and the quality of its concrete work; critics fault its relationship to surroundings and the forbidding character appropriate perhaps for police function but alienating to citizens. The building's location at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway's eastern end places it in dialogue with Beaux-Arts monuments, a juxtaposition that highlights Brutalism's deliberate break with classical traditions. Proposals to relocate police headquarters have raised questions about the building's future, testing whether Brutalism merits preservation as historical architecture.<ref name="banham"/>