Campus de la Justicia

Consolidating the various functions and facilities of the justice department of Madrid has potential to create a truly contemporary urban condition. The issues of gigantic scale, tabula-rasa condition in a logistically optimal location, and a desire to create a unique signature project with landmark qualities are a vital breeding ground for a project of high architectural and functional quality. The project is based on a thorough analysis of the program components. This analysis has resulted in a diagram representing the different relations of the main program functions. This formation has been placed on the site, and the connected nodes of the main functions have been turned into actual circular buildings. The circular building diagram has then been developed into a realistic urban planning scheme by carving the circular building masses into rings, merging them into each other, and removing sections to create pleasant and functional exterior and interior spaces. The resulting design scheme is a strongly unifi ed representation
of the individual components of Campus de la Justicia.

The circular organisation of spaces creates three different kinds of outdoor spaces. Public entrance squares are developed as high-class public plazas with different identities corresponding the adjacent public functions of the justice departments. Closed circular courtyards form private and secure exterior areas for the employees and the detainees. Third type of exterior space is formed by the park-like pockets of semi-public green spaces. All these outdoor spaces are unique in shape and character, have a comfortable scale and create a network of outdoor spaces making a pleasant working environment and place to visit.

The public programs and larger courtroom halls are situated at ground levels. Offices and other non-public functions are located in the upper floors. The building widths accommodate different offi ce space typologies from open landscape workplaces to individual offices.

“Sonar” is a strategy for developing an effi cient and recognisable project for the Campus de la Justicia. The unique character is not a made-up external identity or a nostalgic reference to a historical typology, but rather an organisational form developed by the relationship of the program and the context.