Weinstein A+U was chosen by the City of Tukwila to design multiple new fire stations as part of a 2016 bond measure passed to improve their public safety infrastructure. To create a “family” of stations located in disparate neighborhoods, the team developed an architectural language of massive brick walls and vertical metal slots, meant to emphasize the strength and stability of the department. The new stations will improve the health, safety, and mental well-being of the City’s firefighters, as well as project a sense of permanence, reliability and protection to the community.

Located on busy Southcenter Parkway, in the middle of a sea of big box stores, restaurants and parking lots, Station 51 stands out as an island of civic architecture. The building is organized by the location of the apparatus bays, which align with the existing intersection to facilitate a speedy exit by responding vehicles. The adjacent residential program areas are then arranged around a small, west-facing courtyard, which provides abundant natural light to the daytime spaces, as well as privacy and visual respite from the busy street.