L'Hospitalet Justice City: a half-built judicial campus
Conceived to group several courts from Barcelona, the Justice City complex in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is planned as a large unified campus. The architect David Chipperfield designs a master plan with several volumes of pure lines and exposed concrete facades. However, only a part is built, leaving an image very different from the initially projected one 🏗️.
A master plan that is truncated
The original idea seeks to decongest other courts in the city and create a serene environment for administering justice. Chipperfield's design proposes an orderly space, but the work is halted after completing only some buildings. This prevents the campus from functioning as the integrated whole that was imagined.
Elements that define the current state:- Completed and in-use buildings, such as the one housing the Criminal Courts.
- Half-built structures, reduced to deteriorating concrete skeletons.
- Empty plots where new constructions were supposed to rise according to the plan.
The visitor admires the award-winning architecture of one building while, behind their back, a concrete skeleton reminds them that even the best-laid plans sometimes stay in chapter one.
Contrast between design and reality
The architecture seeks clarity and order through the use of exposed concrete and large windows. The reality of the site, however, shows a mix of complete volumes and modern ruins. This visual contrast is the direct result of managing the work intermittently for years.
Consequences of partial execution:- A fragmented image of the judicial campus is generated.
- Active areas coexist with zones in evident abandonment.
- Debates arise about how to manage the unbuilt parts.
An uncertain future for the complex
The unfinished structures remain as a physical reminder of an ambitious plan that is not completed. The project's stagnation raises questions about its completion and the effectiveness of centralizing judicial services in this way. L'Hospitalet's Justice City thus consolidates itself as a symbol of great architectural expectations that clash with practical and budgetary limitations ⚖️.