John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse
for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
, located on Fan Pier on the Boston, Massachusetts
waterfront. Named after Congressman
Joe Moakley
, the 675000 square feet (62,709.6 m²) building was completed in 1999 at a cost of $170 million and has won many design awards.
The courthouse is served by a stop
on Boston's Silver Line
.
and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
. The building houses two courtrooms for the Court of Appeals and 25 courtrooms for the District Court, as well as 40 judges' chambers, a Circuit law library, the office of a United States Congress
man, offices for the United States Attorney
, extensive support facilities for the United States Marshals service and Pre-Trial and Probation services, as well as a day-care facility. The 675000 square feet (62,709.6 m²) building, clad in water-struck brick with granite trim, has ten floors above grade and one below.
It was the first major project to be awarded as part of the United States Court Design Guidelines and incorporates General Services Administration
's goals for imparting dignity and social significance, while creating modern and innovative justice architecture.
Public access to the courtrooms is provided through a sequence of spaces — Entrance Hall, Rotunda
, Great Hall, and Galleries. Twenty-one large-scale paintings were commissioned to Ellsworth Kelly
and are installed in these areas.
The courtrooms themselves are distinguished by a motif of large arches defined by wood moldings and stenciled ornament.
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
, located on Fan Pier on the Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
waterfront. Named after Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Joe Moakley
Joe Moakley
John Joseph "Joe" Moakley was a Democratic congressman from the Ninth District of Massachusetts, a seat held two years earlier by Speaker John William McCormack. Moakley was the last chairman of the U.S...
, the 675000 square feet (62,709.6 m²) building was completed in 1999 at a cost of $170 million and has won many design awards.
The courthouse is served by a stop
Courthouse (MBTA station)
Courthouse Station is a transportation station in Boston, Massachusetts, on the MBTA's Silver Line Waterfront. The station is located on Seaport Boulevard at Pittsburg Street on the South Boston Waterfront.-Accessibility:...
on Boston's Silver Line
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the only bus rapid transit line currently operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses...
.
Details
The courthouse serves as headquarters for the United States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
. The building houses two courtrooms for the Court of Appeals and 25 courtrooms for the District Court, as well as 40 judges' chambers, a Circuit law library, the office of a United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
man, offices for the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
, extensive support facilities for the United States Marshals service and Pre-Trial and Probation services, as well as a day-care facility. The 675000 square feet (62,709.6 m²) building, clad in water-struck brick with granite trim, has ten floors above grade and one below.
It was the first major project to be awarded as part of the United States Court Design Guidelines and incorporates General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
's goals for imparting dignity and social significance, while creating modern and innovative justice architecture.
Public access to the courtrooms is provided through a sequence of spaces — Entrance Hall, Rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
, Great Hall, and Galleries. Twenty-one large-scale paintings were commissioned to Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly is an American painter and sculptor associated with Hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and the Minimalist school. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques emphasizing the simplicity of form found similar to the work of John McLaughlin. Kelly often employs bright colors to...
and are installed in these areas.
The courtrooms themselves are distinguished by a motif of large arches defined by wood moldings and stenciled ornament.
Design Team
- Design Architect - Pei Cobb Freed & PartnersPei Cobb Freed & PartnersPei Cobb Freed & Partners is an architectural firm that was founded in 1955 by I. M. Pei as I. M. Pei & Associates, in 1966 called I. M. Pei & Partners, and received its current name and organization in 1989. The founders were I. M. Pei, Henry N. Cobb, and Eason H. Leonard. Pei and Leonard retired...
, New York - Interior Design - Pei Cobb Freed & PartnersPei Cobb Freed & PartnersPei Cobb Freed & Partners is an architectural firm that was founded in 1955 by I. M. Pei as I. M. Pei & Associates, in 1966 called I. M. Pei & Partners, and received its current name and organization in 1989. The founders were I. M. Pei, Henry N. Cobb, and Eason H. Leonard. Pei and Leonard retired...
, New York - Executive Architect - Jung Brannen Associates, Boston, Massachusetts
- Structural Engineer- LeMessurier ConsultantsLeMessurier ConsultantsLeMessurier Consultants is a Cambridge, Massachusetts firm, founded by William LeMessurier in 1961. It provides engineering support services to architects and construction firms. They focus on advanced structural techniques and impacts to construction materials...
, Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent... - General ContractorGeneral contractorA general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
- Clark Construction Group, Inc - Mechanical/Electrical Engineer - Cosentini Associates LLP, New York, New York
- Courts Design Consultant - Gruzen Samton, New York, New York
- Landscape Architect - Olin Partnership, Philadelphia, PA, and Carol R. Johnson & Associates Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
Design Awards
- National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
: Presidential Design Awards 2000: Federal Design Achievement - American Institute of ArchitectsAmerican Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
: District of Columbia Chapter: 1999 Award of Merit - 1999 Dupont Benedictus Award for Innovation in Architectural Laminated glassLaminated glassLaminated glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shattered. In the event of breaking, it is held in place by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral , between its two or more layers of glass. The interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded even when broken, and its high...
- 1999 Saflex Safe & Sound Award: First Annual Award for the Use of Laminated Glass in Design
- 1997 American Institute of ArchitectsAmerican Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
/ Brick Institute of America: Brick in Architecture Award - 1997 General Services AdministrationGeneral Services AdministrationThe General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
: Honor Award for Design