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There is no mistaking the Warren B. Rudman United States Courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire, for anything other than what it is. The formal, symmetrical granite-and-limestone facade recalls the monumental American civic structures of the late 19th century. The fact that the new building conveys seriousness and solemnity is no accident.
``Justice is a serious business,'' says Jean Paul Carlhian, FAIA,
partner-in-charge of the project for Boston-based Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, Architects, who worked in a joint venture with Nashua, New Hampshire-based PMR Architects. ``A courthouse has a different purpose than an office building, school, or house. We wanted people to recognize instantly that they were entering a court of law.''
The $32.8 million courthouse is also formal and symmetrical within, from the geometric stone flooring to the regularly spaced skylights. Carlhian created a plan based on a structured progression of public spaces; it would be a difficult building for a visitor to get lost in. The main level includes a lobby, courtrooms, jury-assembly space, and what many consider the most important space of all: the office of clerk of the court, where scheduling and planning for the entire operation take place. The second level is a secure floor closed to the public and largely occupied by facilities for the United States marshals and a holding block for prisoners.
Most of the building's eight courtrooms are located on the third level, which is accessible by means of a granite-and-stainless-steel staircase that rises from the main lobby. Although public elevators are nearby, most visitors opt for the graceful stairway. The fourth floor consists of the judges' chambers and the court library.
A stainless-steel sculpture, depicting Justice with her arms raised to tie a scarf over her eyes, stands in the lobby. The work was commissioned under the General Services Administration's Art in Architecture program, whose goal is to place the works of American artists in prominent buildings.
Judicial process