THE M.E.N. has been given a sneak peek inside Manchester's new Civil Justice Centre before it opens a week on Wednesday.
The £160m, 16-storey building in Spinningfields will consolidate civil justice in Manchester, providing facilities for family, commercial, small claims, high and county courts.
The probate office dealing with wills and inheritance is also moving there and it is hoped to use some rooms for training and conferences.
Riding the lift to the top of the atrium offers spectacular views across Salford. The top storeys are occupied by the county courts and offices while the lower levels contain the 47 court and hearing rooms of four different sizes.
The architects, Australian firm Denton Corker Marshall, say the extensive use of glass represents transparent justice.
`Wind scoops' on the roof channel the outside breeze into a network leading to air vents in many of the rooms, where fresh air can be felt flowing in without it being draughty.
The centre has already won a Green Project Award for its design and it is estimated that over the 35 years it has been leased by the courts service it will save £27.4 million in fuel costs.
'Cantilever fingers' project from the structure, earning it the nickname 'the filing cabinet'. Inside the fingers you are unaware that you can be as much as 15 metres out from the main structure.
Courts managing director Richard Knott said: "It's a very striking building and has attracted a lot of comment. From the outside it's a question of taste but inside it's undeniably practical.
"We used to be based in a Victorian building on Deansgate which was not anything like suitable for modern hearings. It was too hot in summer and too cold in winter with no disabled access and only five courts.
"Manchester is a very modern city, and this is a modern court house for modern justice."
Family judge for Greater Manchester Iain Hamilton said: "I'm bowled over by it. It provides a first class environment in which to carry out family and civil litigation.
"It will revolutionise the lives of people who work in family justice."
What do you think of the new Civil Justice Centre? Have your say.
You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 11 and replies | View All
The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 10:25)
Dave (16/10/2007 at 11:03)
Do you only buy British cars, British meat, British Mobile Phones, bank at British banks, fly on British planes? :)
The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 11:23)
Cars, meat, phones, banks etc are consumer items and I am allowed (at present) to make my own decision to a degree, whether I buy British or foreign. At present I own a french car, a japanese phone, use a British bank and usually fly on american aircraft.
A huge public investment, funded by me and assorted other tax and council tax payers is not a consumer item. My money has been used with no reference to my views, preferences and desires.
Britain no longer has, for instance, an aircraft industry so there is not much chance of using British aircraft even if I wanted to. Britain does have, however, a large number of highly talented and innovative architects. Why didn't we use one of them?
That's my answer.
tezza, tyldesley (16/10/2007 at 11:29)
Mr Angry, Bury (16/10/2007 at 12:02)
The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 12:04)
Joey, Ashton under Lyne, (16/10/2007 at 13:38)
It's a pity we do not have someone like Norm Foster!
Oops!! he's from Manchester, we only recognise em when they are dead!
Pob Warby (16/10/2007 at 16:02)
ace, manchester (16/10/2007 at 16:49)
SPACE 1999? There a bit missing as well .heeehe
nicky butt (16/10/2007 at 20:25)
Giles (17/10/2007 at 16:56)