Every day, thousands of young people gather after school at Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the city to play, create, and grow. At the Thomas J. Murphy Clubhouse in Flatbush, Brooklyn, they also swim. The pool is undergoing its first-ever renovation which includes reshaping the pool, updating the lighting, changing the gutter and return systems, and providing dehumidification systems. Plan revisions respond to programmatic use of the pool and an abandoned coal storage space will be claimed and adapted into the new girls’ locker room.

The renovation will elevate this basement-level pool to be one of the prime features of the club. The bold blue finishes will pop against the fresh new monochromatic wall and floor finishes.
Commencing at the foot of the stairs, a 100 foot-long tile mosaic wall will capture the lobby space and draw visitors’ eyes into the pool room. Photos taken from an underwater photo shoot captured the kids in motion, and their images will be used to create the tile mosaic. Not only will this help nurture a sense of community ownership, but the mosaic image of swimmers will echo the movement of the pool.