The project, created in collaboration with a2o Architecten and Lens ° ass Architecten, was implemented as part of a comprehensive reconstruction of the former Hasselt train station, the strategy of which, in turn, was developed by urbanists West 8. station buildings, today a city-wide park is laid out, office and residential complexes, hotels and public buildings are being erected. According to the West 8 master plan, the Palace of Justice occupied the center of the new district and became one of two high-rise volumes, which were assigned the role of its main landmarks.
The Palace of Justice is a parallelepiped, from the central part of which a hexagonal "crown" grows. Its facades, clad with glass and perforated steel panels, have a pattern in the form of wide diagonals, which in the high-rise part of the complex acquire a distinct resemblance to tree branches. It is no coincidence that such a metaphor is used as the basis for the architectural image: the very name of the city of Hasselt comes from the word Hasaluth, which means "walnut forest", and its coat of arms depicts a hazel tree. The transparent facades symbolize the openness of the Palace to the public and the democratic nature of judicial practice itself.
In addition to the court itself, this complex included the library and auditoriums of the law faculty of the city university, and the high-rise part was occupied by offices. In accordance with security requirements, the court, university and offices are completely separate from each other and operate independently. On the top floor of the tower there is a panoramic restaurant, which offers a beautiful view of the entire city.
