Rethinking Public Architecture: Case of the Contemporary American Courthouse

Since the early 1990’s public architecture in the United States has been undergoing a radical transformation. Culture, political ideologies and other factors, independently or in combination, influence the formal attributes of the public domain, and radical changes in contemporary public architecture warrant a closer look at forces that are driving it. With ten billion dollars investment in160 new projects, federal courthouse architecture presents an ideal case to study the issue. The authors present analyses of four new federal courthouses they studied as part of a research project for the U.S. General Services Administration. They are: the federal courthouses at Omaha, St. Louis, Greeneville and Corpus Christi. The studies involved ethnographic analyses of public spaces and semi-structured interviews with key courts employees during the summer and early fall of 2002. The authors conclude that needs for a proactive role in community building, to create a safe place, to create an inviting place, and to create a special place are some of the forces that influence the form of contemporary public domain.

Volume Editors
Marilys R. Nepomechie & Robert Gonzalez

ISBN
0-935502-54-8