A new courthouse has appeared in the center of Caen: the first hearing within its walls took place in January 2016. The construction itself lasted for about two years. The structure and the surrounding area are included in a large-scale project for the development of the "peninsula" between the Orne River and the channel connecting the city with the English Channel, on which they, in fact, are located. Several notable structures have already appeared nearby, and now a regional library-media library is being built under the OMA project.
The architectural project for the Palais de Justice was started by the Paris office of Christian Hauvette & Associés, and then it was finalized by the Austrians baumschlager eberle together with Atelier Pierre Champenois, former partners of Christian Ovette. The budget was € 40 million.
The building housed two bodies of French justice: a court of large instance and a court of first instance; the customer was the Ministry of Justice. The main task of the architects was to create an object that would meet modern requirements for functionality, safety and openness, while providing optimal conditions for visitors.
The whole appearance of the building and its design features can be described in two words: solid and transparent. The simple cubic shape, slightly "down to earth", emphasizes the undeniable justice. It is a modern interpretation of the archetypal courthouse, where the key characteristics of justice and the fundamental methods of architecture are combined. The glass surface of the volume inspires confidence in the work of judges, since it allows you to "look" inside, and at the same time reflects the surroundings - the surrounding world, the problems of which are solved here from the standpoint of the law.
The rectangular plan dictates the logic of the movement of people inside the building. The main premises are adjacent to the facades; all corridors lead to a glass "belt" that encloses the perimeter. This solution provides good natural light and easy navigation in the interior, as well as creates a sense of order there. The "heart" of the building is a cylindrical atrium that runs through all five floors.
In addition to the high level of comfort, the courthouse is distinguished by its economical energy consumption due to its compact volume (the total area of the premises is 8 840 m2, the building area is just over 2,000 m2), double facades, "bioclimatic" atrium.
