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United States Courthouse

Hammond, Indiana
Completed 2002

Federal courthouse for the northern district of Indiana, with related court offices and federal agencies
 

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This United States Courthouse and Office Building was undertaken to provide suitable accommodations for the District and Bankruptcy Courts. It is located on a generous downtown site and is a focus of rejuvenation for the entire center city area. In this context, the building has been pulled back from the street atop a gently inclined public park and designed to convey a sense of stability, impartiality and repose.

The symmetrical structure articulates function by fenestration gathered into discrete zones. The grandest is the 64-foot-high vaulted central hall which, filled with light, joins the two wings of the building and invites public participation. Glazing is balanced by large limestone surfaces that announce the presence of courtrooms on the upper levels. Interior spaces are dignified by generous proportions and a simple palette of materials. Oak paneling frames the participants in the judicial process: judge, jury, witness and the public. District Courtrooms on the top floor enjoy the additional benefit of natural light introduced through octagonal monitors above shaped ceilings.

In their pursuit of equal justice, the courts embody the essence of American democracy. This building seeks to reaffirm that fundamental premise with a design based on clarity, dignity, permanence, and above all, accessibility to the community it serves.

Major Components

3 District courtrooms; 2 Magistrate's courtrooms; 2 Bankruptcy courtrooms; District Library; offices for the United States Senate and House of Representatives;  Great Hall (138' x 43' x 64' high)

Awards

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners services

Architectural design through design development; coordination with associate  architect on construction documents and construction administration

Architect of Record, Landscape Architect

Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

Courts Programmer

Gruzen Samton, New York, NY

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