Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center

Named after Brooklyn-born activist, educator, and politician Shirley Chisholm—the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress—the new Center serves the communities she advocated for throughout her life. Preserving and extending the site’s existing recreational uses, the design also provides new learning and community amenities that serve the wider neighborhood. With a sculpted façade that is designed to draw people toward the building from different approaches, the architecture responds to its compact urban site while maximizing comfortable outdoor and indoor spaces. Projecting into a new shaded plaza, the building’s transparent main entrance—centrally located between the adjacent public school and the Center—establishes a signature welcoming gesture. Large arched windows, set into the gently curving brick façade, reinforce the building’s inviting presence, while also bringing natural light and views deep inside.

The Center’s three lower levels are dedicated to recreation and exercise, housing a gymnasium, walking track, and double-height competition-grade swimming pool, which are immediately visible from the lobby, as well as dance and fitness rooms. Openings between floors maximize visual and physical connections between programs, establishing a vibrant and airy atmosphere. The Center’s upper level is designed to host a range of community amenities from afterschool programs to a media lab, named for East Flatbush business leader Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr. Naturally lit learning spaces for kids, teens, and adults lead outdoors onto a wrap-around rooftop terrace and gardens where people can connect with nature in a peaceful environment that nurtures their physical and mental health.

Aiming to achieve a low-carbon footprint, the Center is designed with a high-performance envelope, all-electric heating and cooling, and sustainable and durable building materials, including mass timber, which performs well in humid environments like indoor pools. Healthy materials and finishes are also prioritized to ensure high-quality indoor air. Together with expanded tree cover across the site, the Center seeks to foster a healthier, more connected community, city, and planet.