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 is undergoing its first-ever renovation which includes new finishes, reshaping the pool floor, updating the lighting, changing the gutter and return systems, providing de-humidification systems, and providing a generous entry lobby.
Commencing at the foot of the stairs, a 100 foot-long glass tile mosaic captures the lobby space and draw visitors’ eyes into the pool room. Student volunteers from the club were photographed and filmed underwater. Their images were transformed into a collage which echos the movement of the pool. The architects 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. The project is complete and has been open since January 2018.