City Of Justice, Barcelona, Spain. Architect: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS, 2009.

Link to image

Link to Set

Barcelona’s new law courts complex breaks down the 240,000 square-metre programme into nine buildings, four of which are linked by a continuous four-storey-high concourse structure. The first of the buildings was completed in September 2007. Previously, the various legal departments of the governments of Barcelona and l’Hospitalet were scattered in seventeen buildings across the two cities, with functional frustrations for both users and employees. The new combined City of Justice aimed to improve efficiency and allow working spaces to adapt and absorb the constant transformation of the judicial body as well as provide space for future growth. The site – previously a military barracks – is at the border of the two cities of Barcelona and l’Hospitalet. It is located adjacent to both the Avinguda de la Granvia de l’Hospitalet, a major access route into the centre of Barcelona from the south, and the Avinguda del Carrilet, an arterial road leading to l’Hospitalet. The position provides optimum accessibility to the city and major metropolitan routes on both public and private transport.