East Park Booster Pumping Station

Constructed in 1937 in Fairmount Park at the intersection of 33rd Street and Girard Avenue, the East Park Booster Pumping Station In the present day, the station provides approximately seven million gallons of water per day into the Belmont Gravity District and acts as the sole emergency backup for the Belmont Water Treatment Plant.

The architectural goal for the new pumping station was to create a functional facility while also being mindful of the building’s connection to the architectural fabric of the City of Philadelphia. Both the building’s form and materiality speak to its immediate surroundings, such as other nearby pumping stations and Hatfield House. Design features maintain a modern aesthetic while also drawing a variety of inspiration from neighboring structures such as symmetry, repetition of windows, arches, and the use of brick.

The new pumping station facility is a steel structure with concrete masonry unit infill and concrete slab designed to meet standards and best practices for sustainable design. Material selections are low maintenance, provide high durability, and are based on local availability and sourcing. Other sustainable strategies include incorporating natural daylighting as well as the use of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content.

Art Commission Approval was a critical item for the project to move forward to construction. This was coordinated early during design with , the Fairmount Park Commission, and the Philadelphia Art Commission to ensure that the building remained complimentarily to the historical and physical context of this Philadelphia landmark park.