Fire Station No. 49 | Maury Maverick Branch Library

Fire Station No. 49 and the Maury Maverick Jr. Branch Library is located on Mystic Park Street just off the intersection of Mystic Park and Bandera Road.

The goal of the innovative program is to make the two facilities, which are located on the same site, compatible in design while maintaining their independent functions and image.

The site plan locates the fire station apparatus room to provide the best views when trucks are exiting the station. The library is located adjacent to and integrated with the major landscape feature of the site, a grove of mature native trees. Parking for the library is located in the back of the project, diminishing its impact from the street and park.

The exterior image and vocabulary of the two projects are visually compatible. Masonry, glazed masonry in patterns and glazing form the common architectural vocabulary of the two projects. Both facilities feature sloping roofs that identify their major components and allow light in the library and public areas, and also in the fire station’s apparatus area. Each facility has a large pylon element that acts as a gateway to the complex, announcing the two facilities with signage and identification.

The Mystic Park elevation of the library faces west and slightly north, making glazing inappropriate for this elevation. Alamo Architects worked with local artist Henry Rayburn to develop a special treatment for this facade, incorporating a playful library sign and an intricate perforated metal screen with an overlay of shading and patterns.

Client> City Of San Antonio
Construction Cost> $4.5 Million
Completion> February 2006