OMA dresses faceted French courthouse in coloured glass

Dutch studio OMA has completed the Palais de Justice de Lille, a six-sided law court in northern France with a faceted facade lined with coloured glass. Located in Lille, the project was commissioned by the Ministry of Justice to host the city's high and district courts. OMA has completed the Palais de Justice de Lille Palais de Justice de Lille occupies a verdant landscape adjacent to a star-shaped fortification, built in 1667 by the French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. OMA's design has a pointy, hexagonal form, with each elevation finished in coloured glass, intended to mimic this fortress. It is lined with coloured glass The Palais de Justice de Lille is arranged in three volumes, accessed via a publicly accessible base. Its first volume is a plinth that holds the major courtrooms, from which a triangular central tower containing minor courtrooms extends. Above, a faceted ring of offices surrounds the tower, which helps draw light into the building. According to OMA, each volume has "its own material expression and spatial character, reinforcing clarity and orientation throughout the complex". However, they are unified by light finishes and furnishings, and an ambition to feel welcoming and "free of the intimidation", it added. A series of outdoor spaces complete the project Completing the Palais de Justice de Lille is a series of outdoor spaces, distributed across its three volumes. This includes a public plaza at ground level and a roof garden overlooking the city. A triangular tower contains the minor courtrooms OMA, officially known as Office for Metropolitan Architecture, was founded in 1975 in Rotterdam. It won a competition to design the courthouse in 2018 and was originally due to complete the project in 2023. The studio's other recent projects include an affordable housing development in San Francisco and a pyramidal building in Hangzhou designed as a "three-dimensional village". Other law courts featured on Dezeen include one in Toronto by Renzo Piano Building Workshop that aims to display "the identity and values of a modern justice institution" and a 10-storey federal courthouse by SOM currently under development in Florida. Subscribe to our newsletters Your email address New! Dezeen Agenda US Sent on alternate Fridays, this US edition of Dezeen Agenda is a fortnightly newsletter rounding up everything you need to know from America, featuring news, projects and interviews with industry figures. Plus occasional updates and invitations to Dezeen events. New! Dezeen Showroom New Releases A quarterly newsletter rounding up a selection of recently launched products by designers and studios, published on Dezeen Showroom. Dezeen Debate Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly, is sent every Tuesday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Plus occasional updates on Dezeen’s services and breaking news. Dezeen Agenda Sent every Thursday and containing a selection of the most important news highlights. Plus occasional updates on Dezeen’s services and invitations to Dezeen events. Dezeen Daily A daily newsletter containing the latest stories from Dezeen. Dezeen In Depth Sent on the last Friday of every month, Dezeen in Depth features original feature articles, interviews and opinion pieces that delve deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design. Dezeen Jobs Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Jobs Weekly Weekly updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Awards News about our Dezeen Awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates. Dezeen Events Guide News from Dezeen Events Guide, a listings guide covering the leading design-related events taking place around the world. Plus occasional updates and invitations to Dezeen events. Dezeen Awards China News about our Dezeen Awards China programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates. We will only use your email address to send you the newsletters you have requested. We will never give your details to anyone else without your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email, or by emailing us at [email protected]. For more details, please see our privacy notice. Thank you! You will shortly receive a welcome email so please check your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every newsletter.