22.11.2013
Palace of Justice, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The new premises of the Magistrates Court and the Public Prosecutor form part of the stacked programme of the Western IJ-dock complex. The design conforms to the given complex spatial envelope envisaged by the master plan drawn up by Van Gameren and Mastenbroek.
Not only a stringent limitation of the form and interior, but also the tight budget and other strict conditions determine the design. Nevertheless, a unique solution has been found for this public building of 34,000 m2 that accords with the public and representative significance of a magistrates court.
The main characteristic is that of a public building with a strict security policy that has separate logistical programmes for the magistrates, suspected and convicted parties, and the public. This results in a spatial palette ranging from a representative character in the public areas, via a congenial working climate for those employed by the court, to the watertight logic of the zones for suspected and convicted parties. This complexity of the assignment is further reinforced by the considerable number of parties involved.
Within all these parameters a clear organisation has been chosen in which the office functions of the Public Prosecutor and the Magistrates Court are each accommodated in separate volumes and connected with one another by the walkway on the central fifth floor. The central zone of the Magistrates Court contains the lofty public hall with the courtrooms on either side of it and above it the offices, which are grouped around a large patio.
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