PAYPHONE ENCLOSURE PROTOTYPE

VERIZON Public Communications
Winner: 2002 ARCHI Award Un-Built Projects

American Institute of ArchitectsTelecommunications has historically played a pivotal role in the development, modernization and emergence of even the smallest economic, social and political centers. A small, yet very important, piece of these communication networks are public payphones. Since first debuting in 1889, the payphone enclosure, or phone booth, has become an integral part of the urban fabric, an important tool of commerce, a haven from nature’s elements, and a reassuring beacon of safety or comfort to the distressed or stranded. The images of Clark Kent transforming himself to Superman inside a phone booth, and 1950’s college students stuffing themselves into their tight quarters, helped to further establish phone booths as cultural icons and symbols of Americana.

However, recent technological innovations have led to a decline in the payphone industry. With fewer than 1.9 million remaining of the 2.6 million payphones that existed nationwide five years ago, today’s wireless boom seems to suggest that the handwriting is on the wall. Many companies have begun to phase out or even abandon these services based on their perceived irrelevance and the high cost of maintaining them. Many of the remaining payphones in service will likely never receive upgrades or improvements, ultimately disappearing from existence.

Verizon Public Communications, the nation’s largest payphone provider, operating 430,000 payphones in 33 markets, has taken a different approach. Verizon believes the industry is alive and viable and is committed to maintaining and improving this segment of the market. Payphones are a necessity for the remaining 5.6 million households which do not have phone service of any kind. And as the tragic events of September 11 remind us, cellular service may not always work. In fact, nearly a million calls were reportedly made from Verizon pay terminals in Manhattan during the period from September 11-21, 2001.

In bold contrast to others in the industry, Verizon has embarked on an effort to update and modernize their payphone enclosures, some of which date back to the 1970’s. The new phone booths are intended to be more progressive and dynamic, ultimately employing state-of-the art technologies such as Internet access, LED displays, energy saving features and solar panels. In addition, Verizon intends to offset some of the operational costs of maintaining this service through alternative revenue generating features built into the enclosures, including new advertising methods.

For the design, William F. Collins, AIA Architects, LLP meshed these ideas with the realities of replacing existing enclosures, often in dense urban settings where ground space and utility feeders will be limited to the existing footprint. In addition to offering a fresh outlook, the new design also had to consider the traditional concerns of vandalism, safety, durability and compliance with various codes and regulations, as well as, the Americans with Disabilities Act standard for public telephones. All of the fastening and panel locking mechanisms have been designed to be tamper resistant while the materials and finishes selected offer maximum protection against vandalism, flame spread, UV/sun exposure, precipitation and moisture. The enclosures provide privacy and protection from wind and rain; yet maintain maximum visibility for security reasons. Care was taken to ensure that the design was modular so that the units could easily be expanded and repairs or replacement could occur directly on site.

The final design has earned WFC a 2002 ARCHI Award Commendation from the American Institute of Architects. For their part, by taking this step towards modernization of its public telephone system, Verizon hopes to achieve the balanced result of enhancing brand recognition and improving product performance and profitability, while at the same time, helping to preserve a dying breed and an important piece of the cultural landscape.