A New Approach to Justice in Marion County, Indiana

Unlike similar facilities of this project type—where judicial, law enforcement and punitive functions are treated as separate—the building weaves together all three into one cohesive expression. The courts tower hovers as a crystalline patterned form, conveying the importance of the judicial system. As a counterpoint, the mental health/detention center sits quietly as a more monolithic background element.

The design orients interior public circulation and waiting areas to nature. An outdoor courtyard provides a place of respite for staff and inmates.

An exterior language of precast and glass communicates a sense of permanence and lightness to the overall design, bringing a balance of both traditional and contemporary architecture to the campus. HOK collaborated with DLZ, Synthesis, Lerch Bates and Camacho.