JUSTICE & GVMT
JUSTICE & GVMT
Live/Work/Play
JUSTICE & GVMT
This exceptionally complex expansion and renovation project includes accommodations for State legislative-mandated positions of one new Circuit Court Judge, three new Magistrates, and judicial assistants/staff. Silling was initially commissioned by Kanawha County for security improvements throughout the facility, and the State mandate required additional space needs, resulting in wholesale adaptations, further benefiting secure circulation paths and more defined public/private separation. The building additions provide 5,800 sf of expanded functional area, and the existing footprint renovations touch 18,200 sf for improved and effective spatial modifications.
The corner addition is a contemporary, urbanistic response to the vehicular and pedestrian pathways central to the Charleston Courts District, providing a single point of screened entry at the intersection of two major city thoroughfares. The new architectural language is appropriately responsive to the minimalism of the existing Annex; the addition, clean and ordered in composition, takes its cues from the original facility. Drawing upon the original structure’s horizontal stacking of concrete banding and windows with subtle nods to the scale and rhythm of vertical panel joints and mullions, the facade language brings a cohesion to the new and existing building elements. Intentionally lighter – both in its neutral tone as well as its implied weight – the character of the new translucent panel and clear glazed addition signify a justice system that is accessible, equitable, and transparent. In its variation in scale, form, and materiality from the larger host tower, the addition will clearly announce itself as the new entry node; a marker of current, relevant ideas for both architecture and justice.
Construction is set to commence in early October 2024 and finalize in July of 2026 under night work restraints, as the facility must remain fully operational during the construction timeframe. Silling has worked diligently with the end-users and the West Virginia Supreme Court to formulate a plan of construction phasing and milestone move management to minimize the disruption to typical daily courthouse operations.
