Established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and similar atrocities, the International Criminal Court (ICC) quickly outgrew its temporary home within a larger office building in The Hague. It needed more court rooms as well as support spaces. After a feasibility study, the ICC decided to repurpose a parking deck at the building’s north side.
Converting a park deck presented a significant design challenge: how to make low-ceilinged, claustrophobic spaces feel welcoming and protective, as well as give them the respectful look of an international organization. An additional challenge was carving out two well-proportioned courts within poorly proportioned volumes, and to create a smooth circulation system that could accommodate separate routes for judges, clerks, suspects, and members of the public.
The new volume doesn’t stand out because of an outspoken shape, as the existing office building does, but is defined by a subtly varied facade that lends it a strong, elegant appearance. Its cladding is made of two differently shaped aluminum panels that are anodized in two different colors. The new courts occupy space on what had been the parking deck’s top level, while lower floors include public areas such as the lobby, a library, and press briefing room. In order to avoid reducing the height of these seven-foot-high spaces any more than was necessary, the architect placed all HVAC and electrical conduits inside the walls.
