Manchester Law Courts, Civil Justice Centre Building, UK Legal Facility Photos, Architect
Manchester Law Courts
Civil Justice Centre northwest England design by Denton Corker Marshall Architects
17 Jan 2011
Manchester Civil Justice Centre one of Britain’s best buildings
Design: Denton Corker Marshall Architects (DCMA)
Manchester Civil Justice Centre has been named one of Britain’s 10 best buildings of the decade by the highly respected architecture and design magazine, Blueprint.
Manchester Civil Justice Centre Award
Building photos © Adrian Welch, Apr 2010:
The Manchester Civic Justice Centre is the United Kingdom’s largest civil and family court to be built for more than 100 years. It has been honoured with over 20 awards including a Royal Institute of British Architects’ National Award for Architecture and the Australian Institute of Architects’ Jørn Utzon Award for Most Outstanding Work of International Architecture.
Described by Blueprint editor Peter Kelly as a civic facility of true excellence, the courts building is regarded as a symbol of the city’s global significance. Praising its exceptional quality and presence, the Blueprint team says that the MCJC incorporates all elements of Manchester’s complex urban environment, with “style, ambition and an extraordinary attention to detail”.
“Denton Corker Marshall has created a spectacle of justice – a place where justice can be seen to be done, and its presence is felt throughout the city. The product of a particular moment of economic revival, the Civil Justice Centre taps into the commercial and moral heart of Manchester,” concludes the report.
Conceived in a limited design competition against Richard Rogers Partnership and Pringle Richards Sharatt, the building was completed in 2007.
Success in design competitions is something of a practice signature, having won numerous commissions to design buildings of international significance. The competition-winning Stonehenge Visitor Centre, Australian Embassy in Jakarta and Broadway Building at the University of Technology Sydney are among current projects on Denton Corker Marshall’s drawing board.
The Blueprint team selected just 10 examples of “British architecture at its best”, including work by Herzog & De Meuron, Zaha Hadid, Foster and Partners and Caruso St John.
Blueprint Best British Buildings of the 21st Century
30 St Mary Axe – Foster + Partners
The Ashmolean Museum – Rick Mather Architects
Eden Project – Grimshaw
Evelyn Grace Academy – Zaha Hadid Architects
Manchester Civil Justice Centre – Denton Corker Marshall
Nottingham Contemporary – Caruso St John
Old Market Square – Gustafson Porter
Tate Modern – Herzog & de Meuron
Wembley Stadium – Foster + Partners
The Young Vic – Haworth Tompkins
Manchester Civil Justice Centre
Architect: Denton Corker Marshall
Location: Spinningfields District, Manchester, England, UK
MANCHESTER CIVIL JUSTICE CENTRE
Address: 1 Bridge Street West, Manchester, M3 3FX, United Kingdom
photographs : Tim Griffith
Stirling Prize 2008 award : Stirling Prize Shortlist 2008
Architect Denton Corker Marshall’s unique design for the Manchester Civil Justice Centre (MCJC) was chosen by the client – HER MAJESTY’S COURT SERVICE – as the international competition-winning design for the Ministry of Justice in the Northwest of England. The building is the largest court complex to be built in the UK since the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand.
photographs : Tim Griffith
The courts are expressed as long rectilinear forms, articulated at each floor level, and projecting at each end of the building as a varied composition of solid and void. In side elevation, these elements collectively establish a dynamic and distinctive building profile; in end elevation, they form a powerful sculptural interplay of light and shade, depth and complexity. The architectural implication is that the courts are not forbidding or concealed, but open and accessible.
photo © webbaviation
The building houses 47 courtrooms, 75 consultation rooms, in addition to office and support space over 15 levels.
Sustainability has been a major consideration from initial concept with natural ventilation to all areas. The use of local and sustainable materials and suppliers was targeted during construction, helping to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.
photographs : Tim Griffith
Manchester Law Courts architects : Denton Corker Marshall
Mies van der Rohe Award Nominee 2009
Manchester Civil Justice Centre Awards
ROSES DESIGN AWARDS architecture grand prix gold award
ROSES DESIGN AWARDS architect of the year – stephen quinlan, denton corker marshall
ROSES DESIGN AWARDS best public building gold award
ROYAL INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTS jorn utzon award for international architecture
PROPERTY WEEK north west property awards best design led project 2007
MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL built in quality award 2007 in recognition of high quality construction
MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL built in quality award 2007 in recognition of the environmentally sustainable construction
MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL green construction award 2007 major project of the year
GREEN CONSTRUCTION AWARDS – CONSTRUCTION NEWS major project of the year
IStructE 2008 NORTH WEST REGIONAL STRUCTURAL AWARDS award for large projects
NORTH WEST REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION AWARDS project of the year
RIBA REGIONAL north west regional award
RIBA NATIONAL AWARD national award
BUILDING MAGAZINE PROJECT AWARDS building project of the year
ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS (ACE) engineering excellence award sustainability
MANCHESTER SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS AWARDS community and overall winner
INSIDER PROPERTY AWARDS north west architect of the year
SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN USA wayfinding + signage 2008 merit award
Shortlisted for Stirling Prize 2008
Manchester building photos © Adrian Welch 2006
Manchester Civil Justice Centre – Law Courts building
Date built: 2006-07
Architects: Denton Corker Marshall
Manchester building photos © Adrian Welch 2006
Manchester building photos © Matthew Ansell Sep 2006
Location: Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Manchester, Northwest England, UK
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Manchester Civil Justice Centre Award
World Architecture Festival Awards 2008 : Civic Category Shortlist
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