The Paris Court

In contrast to the dark and impenetrable courthouses of yesteryear, the new Paris courthouse is characterized by its bright, light, and transparent architecture.

This glass palace, covering more than 100,000 m², brings together in one place all the services of the Paris District Court, previously spread over six separate sites, as well as all 20 Parisian magistrates' courts.

The daily reception of thousands of users therefore required a large-scale project, designed by architect Renzo Piano as a 160-meter-high vertical city.

The building is divided into three main elements:

• The base houses the court itself.
• Adjacent to and directly connected to the base, the bastion houses the detention areas for those summoned to appear in court.
• Three blocks are superimposed on top of the base.

The base forms a 160-meter-long, 30-meter-high structure opening onto a spacious 6,000 m² forecourt. It is open to the public and houses 92 courtrooms and a 5,000 m² lobby that is fully visible from the outside through its huge bay windows.

The three upper blocks, each with around ten floors, house the palace's administrative and judicial services. They open onto three large open-air terraces with a total of 10,000 m² of tree-lined space.

Traffic within the building is fast and fluid thanks to the optimization of vertical and horizontal flows and well-designed signage.

Strategically located in the heart of Greater Paris, this new ultra-modern “judicial city” heralds a more accessible, efficient, and transparent justice system.