That it sits dockside is one of the things that makes Manhattan’s newest firehouse unusual. But what makes the 8,500 sq. ft. exceptional is its design. The iconic-looking structure is clad with 15,000 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK titanium zinc, manufactured by RHEINZINK America Inc.

FDNY’s new waterfront facility serves as command center for Marine Company 1, the last remaining fireboat company on the island of Manhattan. Supported on array of 200’-deep concrete piles, the facility provides docking space for the department’s newest pumping vessel, the 343, and dormitory housing for up to 10 firefighters. Commissioned following 9/11, the sleek new 343 can travel up to 18 knots (about 20 M.P.H.) and pump 50,000 gallons of water—50 times more than a typical fire truck.

In its design of the building, CR Studio Architects utilized RHEINZINK Preweathered Blue-Gray Double Lock Standing Seam roof panels and Flat Lock Tiles. Jonathan Dreyfous, one of the firm’s three partners, notes that the building’s tall and narrow shape gives it the look of what he’s called a “a strong, iconic public structure”. The zinc cladding, in time, will weather to a lush patina. In addition to the RHEINZINK panels, the façade includes grid-metal grilles used as fencing, balusters and vents.

The Double Lock Standing Seam Roof Panels were fabricated by Beninati Roofing & Sheet Metal, Yonkers, NY. The rectangular Flat Lock Tiles were fabricated by Sirois Sheet Metal, New Britain, CT. Both profiles were installed by Beninati Roofing & Sheet Metal. The RHEINZINK distributor was CT Roofing Reps, Inc., East Berlin, CT.