Manchester Civil Justice Centre
Encyclopedia
The Manchester Civil Justice Centre in Manchester
, England houses the Manchester County Court
and the Manchester District Registry of the High Court
, Manchester City Magistrates’ Family Courts
, the District Probate
Registry, and the Regional and Area Offices of the Court Service
.
It was constructed between 2003 and 2007 in the Spinningfields
district to the west of Deansgate
. The western side of the 80 metres (262.5 ft), 17-storey building faces the River Irwell
, which marks the border between Manchester and Salford
. It is currently the joint sixth tallest building in Manchester City Centre
. The entrance to the building opens onto Bridge Street.
The tower was designed by Australian architects Denton Corker Marshall
with engineer
s Mott MacDonald
. The building is notable for the "fingers" at each end that are cantilever
ed over the lower levels, and it is rumoured that Barrie Marshall sketched the building by hand and that very little has deviated from his drawings. On the western side is an 11000 sqm suspended glass wall, the largest in Europe. It is the first major court complex in Britain since George Edmund Street
's Royal Courts of Justice
in London's Strand
, completed in 1882.
The same design team, Denton Corker Marshall and Mott MacDonald, are designing a sister court building in Birmingham
, known as Birmingham Magistrates' Court.
On 18 January 2007, during the Kyrill storm, several pieces of aluminium
cladding were blown off the building, one of which struck a woman walking along Bridge Street.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England houses the Manchester County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
and the Manchester District Registry of the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
, Manchester City Magistrates’ Family Courts
Family Proceedings Court
In England and Wales, the Family Proceedings Court is the name given to the Magistrates' Court when members of the family panel sit to hear a family case. It is a court of first instance in England and Wales that deals with family matters...
, the District Probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
Registry, and the Regional and Area Offices of the Court Service
Her Majesty's Courts Service
Her Majesty's Courts Service is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the civil, family and criminal courts in England and Wales....
.
It was constructed between 2003 and 2007 in the Spinningfields
Spinningfields
Spinningfields is a large business, retail and residential development in Manchester, England that lies in the western portion of the City Centre, between south Deansgate and the River Irwell. The Spinningfields complex is the masterplan of Allied London Properties, a London-based property...
district to the west of Deansgate
Deansgate
Deansgate is a main road through the city centre of Manchester, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile long....
. The western side of the 80 metres (262.5 ft), 17-storey building faces the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
, which marks the border between Manchester and Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
. It is currently the joint sixth tallest building in Manchester City Centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
. The entrance to the building opens onto Bridge Street.
The tower was designed by Australian architects Denton Corker Marshall
Denton Corker Marshall
Denton Corker Marshall is a major award-winning Australian architecture practice established in Melbourne in 1972. It was founded by architects John Denton, Bill Corker, and Barrie Marshall...
with engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald
The Mott MacDonald Group is an employee-owned company management, engineering and development consultancy serving the public and private sectors world-wide...
. The building is notable for the "fingers" at each end that are cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed over the lower levels, and it is rumoured that Barrie Marshall sketched the building by hand and that very little has deviated from his drawings. On the western side is an 11000 sqm suspended glass wall, the largest in Europe. It is the first major court complex in Britain since George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
's Royal Courts of Justice
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is the building in London which houses the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales...
in London's Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
, completed in 1882.
The same design team, Denton Corker Marshall and Mott MacDonald, are designing a sister court building in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, known as Birmingham Magistrates' Court.
On 18 January 2007, during the Kyrill storm, several pieces of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
cladding were blown off the building, one of which struck a woman walking along Bridge Street.
Awards
Manchester Civil Justice Centre has won several awards for its sustainability credentials, innovative engineering design and striking architecture. Some of the key ones include :- RIBA Award 2008 - Royal Institute of British Architects National Awards:
- Project of the Year 2008 – Building Awards (organised by the leading magazine, Building)
- Project of the Year – North West Regional Construction Awards 2008 (organised by Constructing Excellence)
- Project of the Year - National Constructing ExcellenceConstructing ExcellenceConstructing Excellence is a UK-based construction industry membership organisation. In the UK, it is unique insofar as its member organisations are drawn from across the industry supply chain, ranging from clients, through contractors and consultants, to suppliers and manufacturers of building...
Awards 2008 - Major Project of the Year – Green Construction Awards 2007
- Architecture Grand Prix Gold Award – Rose Design Awards 2007
- Gold Award – Best Public Building Awards 2007
See also
- Beetham TowerBeetham Tower, ManchesterBeetham Tower is a landmark 47-storey residential skyscraper in Manchester city centre, England. Completed in 2006, it is named after the developers, Beetham Organization, was designed by Ian Simpson, and built by Carillion....
- List of tallest buildings in Manchester