In honor of Alabama’s 50th Anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign, a national design competition was launched to envision a “Monument to Foot Soldiers.” New York City-based Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects was one of many entrants who responded, hoping to design a monument that would honor the sacrifices made by the unnamed activists who fought for civil rights and celebrate the power of the human spirit.
A fire station typically is organized into two distinct zones - one that reaches outwards to the city and acts as a monumental symbol of protection, and one that contains the hidden inner workings of the station. In a large headquarters, with a diverse set of programs each with their own unique spatial requirements, such a strategy of containment is untenable.
The Hasselt Court of Justice will be one of the two high-rise buildings that are part of the restructured former railway station. The site will include a park, public buildings, offices, hotels and urban residential blocks. Designed by J. Mayer H. Architects, along with a2o architecten and LensºAss architecten, the courthouse references in the design process refer both to the image of the “tree”, the hazelnut trees in the City of Hasselt’s coat of arms, and steel structures in the once industrial- and Art Nouveau-influenced area.
Hufton+Crow have shared with us these amazing photos of the project. More after the break.