Law Courts Galleria | ?m | 4s | Province of Alberta | Next Architecture

What do you think of this project?


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Keep in mind that funding has been approved by the province... for a business case report! That is due in the fall.
Along with the “business” case for a new Stollery . All good, when the NDP’s take over in May, they’ll get the SW hospital and a new Stollery going……
 
Along with the “business” case for a new Stollery . All good, when the NDP’s take over in May, they’ll get the SW hospital and a new Stollery going……
Since the budget for the new brain surgery centre was drastically reduced I can't see much happening until after the election and that is only if the NDP get in. If the UCP get back in I don't expect any money for a new court house or Stollery.

But if the NDP get in How many billions would they put into Edmonton right away. Maybe the new hospital but pushing a new courthouse for a few years. Stollery will be on its own for some years.
 
Since the budget for the new brain surgery centre was drastically reduced I can't see much happening until after the election and that is only if the NDP get in. If the UCP get back in I don't expect any money for a new court house or Stollery.

But if the NDP get in How many billions would they put into Edmonton right away. Maybe the new hospital but pushing a new courthouse for a few years. Stollery will be on its own for some years.
We are truly governed by a group of sadists and narcissists. How funding a children’s hospital that needs expansion into its own building is not a priority is beyond me. Especially when it’s THE children’s hospital for everyone in Northern Alberta, northern Sask, and most of the territories.
 
That's actually a very good idea! Heaven knows there's acres of parking lots to build on.

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That area is a logical site for a new courthouse building given the large parcels are owned by either the GOA or the COE, which would make land assembly easier than other parts of Boyle Street with more fragmented ownership.
 
Funny you say that--Red Deer's new courthouse is almost complete, and while it's not likely to win any architectural awards (it looks straight out of 2007 to me), it's multitudes better than the leaky brutalist behemoth we have.

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Maybe not going to win architectural awards, but I think this actually looks quite nice. I'm not good at judging size from the picture, but this looks fairly big. Is this bigger than Edmonton's?
 
So without trying to give away too much, I work out of the Law Courts building. To say this building is in dire condition is being generous. The amount of repairs, malfunctions, breakdowns and severe lack of capacity has been taking a huge toll on the justice system in Edmonton.

There has been zero mention or even rumours of getting a new building. To see Calgary have a beautiful courthouse and now Red Deer about to get theirs has been tough for people to see here.

As much as I don't envision the UCP giving us a new building, I do believe whether they like it or not (or whoever is in power come spring) will have no choice but to address this issue and begrudgingly come to terms that the city needs a new building in order for people to carry out their jobs and ensure matters are no longer back logged due to capacity issues.
As I recall, Calgary's was somewhat run down and old before it was finally replaced. Yes, our governments really seem to drag their feet on projects like this. Perhaps it being in the news will embarrass them sufficiently for it this problem to finally get their attention.

It's 50 years or so old, buildings don't last forever without a significant amount of maintenance and upgrades, which is sounds like is not happening here and of course it sounds like there are capacity issues too. Obviously a building built for a city that was half the size it is now, 50 years ago is not going to work so well now.
 
Very true, at the time Calgary was in need of a new courthouse. However we are now in need of one.

Realistically building on the old remand site or elsewhere in the Quarters would be sufficient as there are huge swaths of land available. Building on the old remand site also solves the problem on what to do with that eye sore. However a big question remains on what to do with the current building. The fact that the province spent a few million on a new roof means there likely won't be any movement for another 10 years or so.
 
1. Build a new courthouse without any plans for the old one
2. Let the old one continue to fall into disrepair until it's beyond saving
3. Demolish without any consideration for architectural or structural value, at inflated cost
4. Leave yet another downtown lie site fallow and vacant for years

It's both the most Edmonton AND the most Alberta thing you can do.
 
^ I hate the idea of building a new Law Courts building for precisely these reasons. We also have a tradition of treating buildings like consumer products that are disposed of at the end of their "life cycle". Very little ever seems to be retained in Edmonton.

I don't know if any of you have ever been inside the building, but it has a similar mid-century modern vibe as the pre-massacre DT library. A sympathetic renovation/expansion could make the Law Courts an absolutely stunning facility that could not be replicated in Calgary.

Overall, I would say that the City has done a much better job with interesting architecture than the Province. Hopefully this project can be pulled out of the fire before it's valued engineered to oblivion.
 
^ I hate the idea of building a new Law Courts building for precisely these reasons. We also have a tradition of treating buildings like consumer products that are disposed of at the end of their "life cycle". Very little ever seems to be retained in Edmonton.

I don't know if any of you have ever been inside the building, but it has a similar mid-century modern vibe as the pre-massacre DT library. A sympathetic renovation/expansion could make the Law Courts an absolutely stunning facility that could not be replicated in Calgary.

Overall, I would say that the City has done a much better job with interesting architecture than the Province. Hopefully this project can be pulled out of the fire before it's valued engineered to oblivion.
Or the existing Law Courts building could be rehabilitated with sensitive treatment of its design while a new 'annex' is built in Boyle Street to provide additional court rooms and office space. Win-win.
 
Didn't the EPS also requested more office space? I suggested this idea in the past on another platform where maybe EPS and the new court share office space in the same tower...
High decision maker of laws are housed together which could potentially.allow for better networking..
If there is to be a tower, it would give it a bit higher tally... A win win.
 
Crown prosecutors and police sharing a building, perhaps, but I think the public perception of police sharing a building with judges would never fly
 

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