[COM] Commonwealth Law Courts | 48m | 11lvls | Office

[Pants]

HORN?

I think that's a good thing.

[petermaloney]

When is this building due for completion? it looks complete already

[AG]

Yes, it is basically complete now. Structurally and exterior wise it is, but it isn't in use yet.

[Howie]

Some internal pics have gone up over at SSC.. these pics come courtesy of "I Like To Dig" over at SSC. (who hopefully will be signing up here at S-A any moment now )

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthrea ... ost5130551

[Algernon]

Those are top pics. The other day I was contemplating just what I had to do to "earn" the right to see the inside of the building in person.

[Pants]

Get yourself caught up in a messy divorce, become bankrupt or commit some halfway-decent fraud on a Commonwealth body.

The options are almost endless mate.

Good luck.

[shuzstar]

What exactly is the use and puropose of this place? Law Courts for the commonwealth?

[Pants]

What exactly is the use and puropose of this place? Law Courts for the commonwealth?

That's pretty much it mate, Law Courts for the Commonwealth jurisdiction.

It will house the Federal Court, Federal Magistrates Court, Family Court and the High Court when it sits here.

[Pants]

I'm back to liking this building today

[stumpjumper]

At the risk of sounding negative, I suggest that the new federal court building is a pastiche of run-of the-mill architectural gestures, culminating in a large 'look at me' element - the green slotted copper-covered thing.

Numerous 'edgy' designs around the world are using coloured glass and metal. Nothing interesting there.

As for the big coppery object, have a look at the University of Surrey's science building, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw in 1999. There's an image on the University of Surrey's main website: http://www.surrey.ac.uk

One end of the building features a "jutting prow" - a big, rounded thing like a ship's bow. It leans out at about 15 degrees from vertical, like the federal court's object, and is slotted horizontally by windows, like the federal court's object. However, the Grimshaw design uses zinc cladding, and ours a coppery material, so I suppose you can hardly accuse our designer of plagiarism.

My personal opinion, apart from my annoyance at the self-importance of lawyers generally in considering that they merit this expensive building on the taxpayer's tab, is that it is a pedestrian design superficially and unexceptionally styled in a relatively recent mode, with a ridiculous green distraction on one corner.

One test of good architecture is time. We'll have to see how this one goes.

[Pants]

I agree with alot of what you say, it does seem a very thrown together design, incorporating as many different flavour of the month modern architecture additions as possible without any real flow (especially when you take the other 3 facades into account) - despite what the Architects will lead you to believe about the homage to the Adelaide Hills etc etc.

That said, I am warming to the final result.

You said you design buildings for a living yourself mate, are there any examples of your work that you'd like to show us?

[Pants]

[Will]

Thanks for the photos Pants!

WOW! now that all the scafolding and construction equipment is gone, the building looks even better. This along with the new Advertiser building are excellent additions to the CBD. They are world class in design and they are helping destroy the overpowering brown and sandstone colours in the skyline.

[Pants]

Pics from Hassell's website. Make this thing look a hell of a lot better than any of my shots ever did:

[Will]

Thanks for sharing Pants!

The more I look at this building the more I love it! It is definately a classic of our time and should be heritage listed as a prime example of futuristic architecure.