What are the requirements for the courthouse 4.0? How can architecture help to streamline jurisdiction processes? And can all this be done sustainably? Answers were found in Seekirchen, Austria.
On behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice, the new district court in Seekirchen (Salzburg) opened in April 2023 after a construction period of about 18 months. With its lean, functional, and straightforward appearance, the complex reflects the client’s vision of a citizen-friendly, efficient, and modern judiciary.
The cutting edge, sustainable new building now merges three Salzburg district courts at a single location. The design deliberately takes a back seat here to give the sensitive topic of jurisdiction its necessary space. Creating a place that is tailored to the needs of its users and optimising the daily processes of a district court, was the central approach of g.o.y.a. architects.
The compact four-storey building with a central atrium and an area of around 2,600 sqm echoes the cubic shape of the surrounding residential buildings and is visually divided into two zones:
The ground floor level is reserved for court hearings and service hours while the four floors above house the offices of the court staff. While the generously glazed service area in the south radiates transparency and proximity to the public, the northern part with the hearing rooms is protected from view by wooden slats and thus shielded from the public
Sustainability and energy efficiency were at the centre of planning right from the start. The choice of materials played a decisive role here: Porotherm 50 W.i Plan blocks were used on the upper floors. Thanks to the outstanding insulating characteristics of the material, no additional full thermal insulation was necessary.
The building is also connected to the biomass district heating network and generates part of its electricity requirements with a 38 kWp photovoltaic system on the roof. In the hot summer months, the building can be cooled naturally at night via openings in the atrium roof and the corridors. This green mindset that was rewarded: Seekirchen District Court was certified with the Klimaaktiv Gold Award.
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