Location: Córdoba, Spain.

Architect: Mecanoo + AYESA.

The new Palace of Justice in Córdoba is located in an area dominated by anonymous housing blocks, but the addition of a public institution creates an opportunity to upgrade the public realm and add a civic quality to the neighborhood. The massing strategy creates urban integration through fragmentation, adapting to the surrounding context. The interior organization is easily recognizable, with a central spine creating a circulation axis that connects to the various programs of the building. The spine echoes the architectural language of the exterior massing, with multi-level day-lit voids creating sculptural atriums throughout the building. The courthouse features an open ground floor that contains the most public sections, while high security offices are situated off the upper courtyards and the archives and jail cells are found below ground level.

Photo credit: Fernando Alda.