Courthouse – Lille

The new Lille Courthouse sits on an emblematic site: the former area of the Vauban fortifications, today converted into a modern urban space. Any new architectural intervention in Lille must enter into dialogue with the past, the present and the future; this project fully embodies that ambition. Designed as a colourful, multifaceted architectural object, it conveys both the memory of the place and the openness of justice onto contemporary society.

The building is organised in three clear ensembles: a landscaped base that welcomes the public and houses the large hearing rooms, with a salle des pas perdus designed as an open public square; a central triangular tower, set back and unfolding over four levels, which concentrates the chamber hearing rooms, the functional heart of the courthouse; a hexagonal ring of offices, faceted and floating above the base, which wraps around the judicial core and gives the whole an impression of elegance and lightness despite the gravity of its purpose.

Inside, the design seeks to make justice accessible, clear and welcoming, far from the intimidating architecture that has often marked this type of building. Circulation spaces and hearing rooms are designed to offer transparency, legibility and comfort of use, both for users of the justice system and for staff.