Manhattan Pet Adoption Center
Located between East 109th and 110th Street in East Harlem, the Manhattan Pet Adoption Center will provide a dedicated adoption facility for the Manhattan Animal Care Center operated by Animal Care Centers of New York City. The design transforms an existing garage with no street presence into a lively and welcoming community facility, offering a safe and healthy environment for dogs, cats, and rabbits awaiting adoption.
Given that zoning restrictions prohibit structural modification of the existing single-story building, the renovation opens up existing openings to admit daylight including a large window that offers views into the cat colony from 109th Street. Solar screening is provided by a ceramic frit pattern on the glass, a motif of diamonds that is more open at eye-level and opaque above and below.
The entry façade is enlivened with a steel rain screen that adds depth and color while preserving the existing masonry wall behind. The 3”-deep sides of the fins are painted with a color gradient that shifts subtly between yellows, greens, and blues, offering a flicker effect as people walk down the sidewalk. From across the street, the effect differs as colors appear subdued against a gray background.
