The new National Courthouse is a reflection. On the one hand it mirrors the adjacent preserved Freyssinet Hall by being a horizontal monument ‘flying’ over this existing edifice, reflecting it in the Courthouse underside. On the other hand the project reflects the contemporary condition of public space versus built form in Paris.

The aspiration of the project is the representation of Parisian justice and the preservation of heritage. The ‘reflecting’ building and its masterplan is the result of the equilibrium between these two actions. While the building avoids touching the ground, the master plan with surrounding housing slabs and additional program avoids building onto the proposed public green space.

Internally, the new National Courthouse is distributed as follows: the existing hall allocates public services, and the tertiary areas (judges, prosecution, and court) are distributed within the new horizontal monument.
275 international participants took part in the competition, where a recognized panel of jurors selected Paris Reflection with a first prize. 
 

Type: International Competition, First Prize
Client: EPPJP – Etablissement Public du Palais de Justice de Paris
Size: 100,000 m2
Program: National Courthouse (offices) and adjacent master plan (green plaza, housing, offices)