Palace of Justice

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

PALACE OF JUSTICE

Mecanoo + AYESA

ARCHITECTS
Mecanoo

AREA
48000 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Córdoba, Spain

CATEGORY
Courthouse

PROMOTOR OWNER / DEVELOPER
Consejería de Justicia e Interior (Junta de Andalucía).

CONSULTANT
Ayesa, Ute Isolux Corsán-copcisa

PHOTOGRAPHS
Fernando Alda

Text description provided by architect.

The new Palace of Justice in Córdoba is located in Arroyo del Moro which is characteristically dominated by anonymous housing blocks, products of the rapid urban development of 21st century Spanish cities.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

The blocks that characterize the urban fabric of the zone were not capable of generating public space or offering something new to the city, but collectively they form a compact and coherent urban identity.

The addition of a public institution to the area creates the opportunity to upgrade the public realm and add a civic quality to this relatively new neighborhood. This responsibility to strengthen the public identity informed the concept for the Palace of Justice. While the Cordoba city center is located south-east from the site.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

The building volume was condensed to create a generous entrance square to the north which connects it with the existing Huerta del Sordillo gardens. The massing strategy creates urban integration through fragmentation.

It follows a similar strategy to the spontaneous growth process of medieval cities resulting in a volume which is carefully sculpted to adapt to the surrounding context.

https://youtu.be/ZasaTAoLVQA

Courtesy of © Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

This results in a puzzle-like structure which hints its process of formation and emulates the experience of the dense historical center of Cordoba.

The vertical fractures that are introduced in the building mass create patios, relating the local courtyard typologies. These fractures provide natural light and ventilation in the central zones of the large building.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

One can say that the sustainability of the building is not achieved by expensive technological mechanisms but by an intelligent interpretation of the vernacular architecture.

The building is elevated two meters from the street level and is accessed by the sloping entrance square. This elevation gives a symbolic power to the building while solving problems of privacy and security created by the insertion of semi-open patios.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

Since the Palace is divided into several independent departments, the building requires several entrances that are positioned based on both internal and external hierarchies.

You can access the building either from the main entrance square or smaller open patios carefully placed along the other 3 sides of the building.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

From the main entrance, the interior organization is easily recognizable. A central spine creates a circulation axis which connects to the various the programs of the building.

This space spans through several floors across the length of the building and articulates each department. It also links the public circulation with the exterior patios.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

The spine echoes the architectural language of the exterior massing, with multi-level day-lit voids creating sculptural atriums throughout the building. The internal functions become more private higher up the building.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda
Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda

At the level of the square, the courthouse features an open ground floor that contains the most public sections such as courtrooms, marriage registry and restaurant. High security offices are situated off the upper courtyards and the archives and jail cells are found below ground level.

Palace of Justice
© Fernando Alda


Palace of Justice
Model

Palace of Justice
Model


Palace of Justice
Sections
Palace of Justice
Sections


Palace of Justice
West Elevation
Palace of Justice
North and South Elevation


Palace of Justice
Floor Plan
Palace of Justice
Floor Plan
Palace of Justice
Floor Plan
Palace of Justice
Floor Plan
Palace of Justice
Floor Plan
Palace of Justice
Ground Floor Plan
Palace of Justice
Site Plan
Palace of Justice
Sketch