Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architect, in collaboration with Goguen Architecture, the courthouse's design strikes a unique balance between monumentality and lightness.
The project was designed with a natural colour palette which combines brick, stone, glass, copper and concrete. The result is a durable, high-performance exterior envelope that honours local traditions, integrates with its surroundings and conveys the gravity of national democracy.
The traditional-looking exterior opens up into an interior floor plan that is light and airy, thanks to the application of wood finishes and the white architectural block which bring texture and softness. The interior has been purposely designed to evoke a sense of calm within a particularly intense environment.
Despite the requirement for opaque courtrooms, access to daylight becomes an organising principle of the design. Natural light pierces through floor-to-ceiling windows and apertures, evoking a dramatic interplay between solid and void.