Court of Justice by J. Mayer H Architects

These are images of the new Court of Justice in Hasselt, Belgium. Designed by Berlin practice J. Mayer H Architects who worked with a2o-architecten and Lensºass architecten, it references the image of the hazelnut trees in the Hasselt’s coat of arms, and steel structures in the Art Nouveau influenced former industrial city.

This is an open, transparent building with direct public access, combining the court of justice with a university library and auditoriums for the faculty of law. The former railway station site has been restructured with a park, public buildings, offices and hotels, and residential blocks.

The structure is divided into three separate units: courtrooms, the library for students and an office tower with a 64-meter-high restaurant offering panoramic views of the city and its surroundings. The space opens this week.

Read our previous reviews and interviews with J. Mayer H Architects here.

Photographers: Filip Dujardin, Philippe van Gelooven, Bieke Claessens