Building and site description
Officially opened by the Queen in March 2008, Manchester’s £113 million Civil Justice Centre is the largest civil court to be built since the Royal Court of Justice in London a century ago. It is a glittering example of post-modern architecture.
Manchester Civil Justice Centre © David Millington Photography Ltd
Light and airy, this 16-storey building includes an 11-storey atrium. There are 47 courtrooms along with tribunal rooms and hearing rooms walled in glass.
The justice centre incorporates numerous environmentally sustainable features:
- natural ventilation using a complex ducted web that brings air in through wind scoops
- an environmental veil to control warmth from the sun, and maximising natural daylight
- groundwater cooling abstracted from two boreholes, which reduces the cooling load energy by 20 per cent.
Architectural style
21st century postmodern
Building highlights
- The open floor areas are so large that engineers had to call in bridge designers to help analyse the effect of vibrations, including footfall.
- There are numerous environmentally sustainable design features (see above).
- Cantilevering fingers project up to 15 metres from the side of the building like huge drawers, which has given rise to its nickname ‘the filing cabinet.’
- 60-metre triangular columns support the glass façade, which is suspended from the atrium roof.
Using this building as a teaching resource
The Manchester Civil Justice Centre has a function and a serious job to do (which is why it isn’t open to the public) but its aesthetics make it a work of art at the same time.
The sustainable features and complex function needed for the justice centre make for an interesting study of form and function, purpose of design and the science behind environmental efficiency.
Manchester Civil Justice Centre © David Millington Photography Ltd
Suggested activities
Key stages 1 and 2
Look at the external shape of Manchester Civil Justice Centre either from the street or in photographs. How does the shape differ from other buildings you know? Compare it with another large building and list the similarities and differences on a chart.
Key stages 2 and 3
Discuss the sustainability features of the Manchester Civil Justice Centre, pairing students to research how a natural element such as sunlight or wind can affect a building. Ask them to find out how designers and construction groups are maximising the use of the chosen natural element, and how in turn they are reducing the effects of the building on that natural element.
Key stages 3 and 4
Pose the question ‘What is this building for?’ Discuss the function of justice centres, and how this relates to the way a space is used, and the purposes of a building. Pair students to think about other buildings – a hospital, a home, a stable, a school, a library – and ask what functions they house, and how their design needs to reflect their purpose.
Region
North west
Location
The Crown Court
Crown Square
Manchester M60 9JD
0161 240 5000
Accessibility
Members of the public may only view the building externally. The website for Mott MacDonald Architects has images of the Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
