Shenzhen Qianhai Justice Centre
Shenzhen, 2014 - 2019
Office/administration buildings Competition 1st prize
In a competition held at the end of 2014, schneider+schumacher’s Chinese team won the contract to build a new courthouse for the Chinese city of Shenzhen. The proposed Justice Centre will be a key component in an urban development area of 45 hectares, due for completion by 2020.
The design concept is based on two rectangular blocks, with an upper unit placed at right angles on top of lower one. The upper element projects out over the lower element on both sides, as if balancing on it.
The building’s external appearance is influenced by the notion of a symbolic pair of scales – standing for the equality and justice of the legal system. The design also makes reference to the Chinese character 中 (zhong), which denotes “centre”, “middle” and “China”.
The lower block houses a centre serving the public on matters concerning legal disputes. This is also where the museum of legal history is located. The large courtroom on the second floor is reached via an inclusive-access ramp. The storey located between the two blocks leads out to a roof terrace with views of Justice Square and Qianhai Bay. The upper block houses the law courts and the appeal courts. Each of the seven storeys in the upper block is divided up into areas for the public, negotiation rooms, and offices.
Offices involved:
Technical details:
Typology: Office/administration buildingsProcurement documentation: Competition
Client: Shenzhen Qianhai Development Holding Ltd.
Gross floor area: 33.000 m²
Land size: 8.141 m²
