Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings) Forum
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Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Will be clerking in flyover, in what appears to be a rather ordinary building. Oh well. But it got me thinking, what are the beautiful/interesting/best courthouses in the land? From modern and sleek to classic and somber to office park or bland dystopia from the regrettable post-war era, tell us about yours!
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
From the ones I have been to, I liked the courthouses in Austin, Cedar Rapids, Boston, and Phoenix (terrible in the summer) the most. The new San Antonio courthouse is suppose to be very pretty, but I have not seen it.
I have seen both the Tuscaloosa and Corpus Christi courthouses and I was not impressed. Most of the courthouses in major cities are rather old.
I have seen both the Tuscaloosa and Corpus Christi courthouses and I was not impressed. Most of the courthouses in major cities are rather old.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Dirksen in Chicago is probably one of the few that's a significant piece of architecture in its own right, though whether you like it will depend on whether you like van der Rohe. The new one in Des Moines is really ugly and sparked a lot of backlash from the business community and local government. The Eagleton one in St. Louis is also pretty bad and it's the biggest courthouse in the country.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Dallas is pretty drab and dystopic. The courtrooms themselves are fine, but the exterior and most of the common areas are depressing.
- rhododactylos
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The Browning Courthouse in San Francisco feels more like a European palace than a courthouse. It's probably the most ornate federal building in the country.
The other 9th Circuit HQ, the Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena, is a quirky former hotel and is getting a little tired inside, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful.
The DC Circuit's courthouse feels like a cheap, dated municipal department of revenue building.
The other 9th Circuit HQ, the Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena, is a quirky former hotel and is getting a little tired inside, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful.
The DC Circuit's courthouse feels like a cheap, dated municipal department of revenue building.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The worst one I've been to is the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse in Orange County. The architecture and furnishings are awful, and when I was there a few years ago it was surrounded by a tent city with hundreds of homeless people.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The James Byrne Courthouse in Philly is shabby and very dated, inside and out. Some of the chambers have incredible views of Independence Hall, though.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Utah's federal courthouse is really interesting. I think it won an architecture award, but the folks who work there call it "The Box."
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Does anyone have thoughts on the courthouse in Minneapolis?
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
If your office comes with a window in that courthouse, you've got a 75% chance of a great view. And, it is fairly new.theswisswereright wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 9:14 pmUtah's federal courthouse is really interesting. I think it won an architecture award, but the folks who work there call it "The Box."
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
It’s skyway-connected, and fairly modern, if a bit sterile. I like it.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 9:52 pmDoes anyone have thoughts on the courthouse in Minneapolis?
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
I thought it was fascinating, truth be told. The interior is maze-like, and the upper floors have truly fantastic views of the city (along with some semi-abandoned offices, which are great places to get work done).Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 9:02 pmThe James Byrne Courthouse in Philly is shabby and very dated, inside and out. Some of the chambers have incredible views of Independence Hall, though.
Byrne is also one of those buildings where a "shabby and very dated" chambers on one floor has been renovated into something sleek and ultra-modern on the floor above.
Our home base was the Frank Lautenberg post office and courthouse in Newark, which must have one of the starkest divides between gorgeous and ornate public areas (the post office itself; the main court floor) and dilapidated private areas (oh god, the bathrooms) out there.
- Prudent_Jurist
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
For real. I don’t know what possessed them to build a glass-enclosed atrium in the middle of the desert.
The state courthouse in Santa Barbara, CA is absolutely gorgeous Spanish-style architecture. It’s a courthouse you’d actually want to get married at.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The Corpus one is fairly new—opened in 2000—and sits just across the Bay. It’s gorgeous. Maybe you saw the courthouse before the 2000 move?moon123 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 3:25 pmFrom the ones I have been to, I liked the courthouses in Austin, Cedar Rapids, Boston, and Phoenix (terrible in the summer) the most. The new San Antonio courthouse is suppose to be very pretty, but I have not seen it.
I have seen both the Tuscaloosa and Corpus Christi courthouses and I was not impressed. Most of the courthouses in major cities are rather old.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Northern District in Cleveland is really nice, newly renovated building w/ a great cafeteria.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 1:13 pmWill be clerking in flyover, in what appears to be a rather ordinary building. Oh well. But it got me thinking, what are the beautiful/interesting/best courthouses in the land? From modern and sleek to classic and somber to office park or bland dystopia from the regrettable post-war era, tell us about yours!
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
What’s the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse like? Seems beautiful but is it functional/nice chambers/offices?
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
I like it. It feels very austere and formal. You feel like a real, fancy lawyer when you walk into one of the courtrooms. It's a sharp contrast to the EDNY courthouse, which is much more modern and I think boring.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 7:40 pmWhat’s the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse like? Seems beautiful but is it functional/nice chambers/offices?
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The public areas are stunning. Chambers aren't massive but totally adequate; I had no problem with my working area. As far as aesthetics, some judges do them up more than others, but all the ones I've seen were at least "nice," and a few were way more than nice. Great views from the higher floors, too.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 7:40 pmWhat’s the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse like? Seems beautiful but is it functional/nice chambers/offices?
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
I'll plug Austin again. Beautifully done courthouse, and in a good location downtown. Only problem is the parking situation, and even that isn't too bad.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Any specific reasons why you think the Eagleton one is bad?Iowahawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 4:52 pmDirksen in Chicago is probably one of the few that's a significant piece of architecture in its own right, though whether you like it will depend on whether you like van der Rohe. The new one in Des Moines is really ugly and sparked a lot of backlash from the business community and local government. The Eagleton one in St. Louis is also pretty bad and it's the biggest courthouse in the country.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
Wholeheartedly agree on both Ninth Circuit courthouses. The SF one is on a completely different level from any other federal building I’ve ever been in.rhododactylos wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:35 pmThe Browning Courthouse in San Francisco feels more like a European palace than a courthouse. It's probably the most ornate federal building in the country.
The other 9th Circuit HQ, the Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena, is a quirky former hotel and is getting a little tired inside, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful.
The DC Circuit's courthouse feels like a cheap, dated municipal department of revenue building.
The new district court courthouse in Los Angeles is pretty nice—it looks like a big glass cube from the outside and is very sleek and modern inside
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The SF courthouse is incredible. It's too bad the neighborhood around it is kind of terrible.GoneSouth wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 6:44 pmWholeheartedly agree on both Ninth Circuit courthouses. The SF one is on a completely different level from any other federal building I’ve ever been in.rhododactylos wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:35 pmThe Browning Courthouse in San Francisco feels more like a European palace than a courthouse. It's probably the most ornate federal building in the country.
The other 9th Circuit HQ, the Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena, is a quirky former hotel and is getting a little tired inside, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful.
The DC Circuit's courthouse feels like a cheap, dated municipal department of revenue building.
The new district court courthouse in Los Angeles is pretty nice—it looks like a big glass cube from the outside and is very sleek and modern inside
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
It certainly doesn't stack up to PawneeAnonymous User wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:31 pmAny specific reasons why you think the Eagleton one is bad?Iowahawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 4:52 pmDirksen in Chicago is probably one of the few that's a significant piece of architecture in its own right, though whether you like it will depend on whether you like van der Rohe. The new one in Des Moines is really ugly and sparked a lot of backlash from the business community and local government. The Eagleton one in St. Louis is also pretty bad and it's the biggest courthouse in the country.
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
"Kind of" is doing a lot of work there.lavarman84 wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 7:52 pmThe SF courthouse is incredible. It's too bad the neighborhood around it is kind of terrible.GoneSouth wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 6:44 pmWholeheartedly agree on both Ninth Circuit courthouses. The SF one is on a completely different level from any other federal building I’ve ever been in.rhododactylos wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:35 pmThe Browning Courthouse in San Francisco feels more like a European palace than a courthouse. It's probably the most ornate federal building in the country.
The other 9th Circuit HQ, the Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena, is a quirky former hotel and is getting a little tired inside, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful.
The DC Circuit's courthouse feels like a cheap, dated municipal department of revenue building.
The new district court courthouse in Los Angeles is pretty nice—it looks like a big glass cube from the outside and is very sleek and modern inside
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Re: Best and Worst Courthouse (buildings)
The new CACD 1st Street Courthouse in Los Angeles is so nice. Extremely light and airy on the inside; very nice chambers. All the more striking is that it is caddycorner to the LA Superior Court Stanley Mosk Courthouse which is, well, not light and airy on the inside.GoneSouth wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 6:44 pmWholeheartedly agree on both Ninth Circuit courthouses. The SF one is on a completely different level from any other federal building I’ve ever been in.rhododactylos wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:35 pmThe Browning Courthouse in San Francisco feels more like a European palace than a courthouse. It's probably the most ornate federal building in the country.
The other 9th Circuit HQ, the Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena, is a quirky former hotel and is getting a little tired inside, but the grounds and gardens are beautiful.
The DC Circuit's courthouse feels like a cheap, dated municipal department of revenue building.
The new district court courthouse in Los Angeles is pretty nice—it looks like a big glass cube from the outside and is very sleek and modern inside
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