Keywords

Shaping Justice studio; Courthouse design; Visual computation; Typology; Variation; Landhuggers

Historically, the courthouse exists as a pair of building and a public square. Here this historical connection has been transformed in a single gesture to simultaneously bring the public realm into the heart of the building and create a procession to celebrate the judicial institution. The main idea of the design is clearly illustrated in the section that truly foregrounds this gesture. The “profane” public space is seamlessly unified with the “sacred” courtroom level space and expands the public plaza well into the site both horizontally and vertically. Each court set exists as an independent, translucent box within the rest of the structure, yet elevated from ground level. The ramp creates a celebratory procession that culminates in a belvedere framing the mountains beyond. This designed experience is entirely accessible to the public, bridging the gap between people and government. Even the security checkpoint is moved towards the interior in order to develop an aura of transparency between public and the government. The plaza and the city-facing side of the project offers several public enhancements: to the west of the ramp, retail spaces line the façade; to the east, an additional extension cuts further into the site to frame a memorial. This gallery makes a direct connection to the historic alley adjacent to the site which was associated with the Freedom Rider’s tragedy on Greyhound Bus Lines, an infamous part of Anniston’s past. The courtroom interiors have been reorganized to enhance a new system of adjudication. The presenter is located at one end (witness or speaking attorney), while the judiciary is directly opposite (judge and jury); the two parties in debate flank the sides (defendant(s) and prosecutor(s)), angled slightly away from each other and towards the presentation. The public encompasses proceedings both at the well level and in a balcony above. All orientations support a less bias based on location rather than current courtrooms where proximity plays a large subliminal part in determining innocence.