The building of the city court is located in a new area densely built up in the 2000s with residential buildings. They are not very original, but they are dense and coherent development, which only lacks quality public spaces and "identity". This deficit should be filled by the Mecanoo project.
Light facades with "lace" openings are a response to the hot climate of Andalusia, and to local architectural traditions, Islamic and Spanish. The volume of the building is cut by narrow “cracks”, which, like a patio, bring natural light and ventilation to the center of the building, and also give it a resemblance to the historical city, its organic, asymmetric volumes - as in the center of Cordoba.
The building is raised two meters above street level to ensure safety - including on the patio. Therefore, a spacious ramp leads to the main entrance, as if the surface of the square in front of it rises towards the building. Several other entrances are also arranged, as different parts of the Palace of Justice have considerable autonomy.
The layout repeats the external composition: along the building there is a main axis-corridor, where light wells-atriums go out. Public functions (courtrooms, a marriage registration hall, a cafe) are located on the ground floor, high security rooms on the upper tiers, cells for defendants and an archive in the basement.
