Silling Architects served as a national justice designer and courthouse architect for the new Franklin County Judicial Center, while locally-based Noelker & Hull served as the architect of record for all non-courts related renovations.
Silling worked with the judiciary and Franklin County officials to create an addition beholding to the existing courthouse (with previous additions) while creating an architectural showpiece for the present era. The new 130,000 gsf judicial center includes administrative office departments for the Common Pleas Court, District Court, Clerk of Courts, Public Defender, Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation, and the District Attorney. The upper levels include courtrooms of varying sizes and supporting judges’ chambers and admin spaces. The subterranean sallyport with central holding offers isolated secure elevator transport of detainees to intermediate holding cells between the court sets. Below grade protected judges’ parking provides access to secure vertical circulation paths to the chambers above.
The new judicial center will benefit county residents well into the future, and improvements in safety, security, efficiency, and quality of justice are something all of us can be proud of.
