Palácio da Justiça

Located at the top of a hill on a level with the Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon’s Palácio de Justiça [Palace of Justice] was part of a plan for a larger Justice Forum that was never completed. Of the initial plan, only the Civil Courts and Police Courts as well as the large plaza, a type of forum that was to bring together all the justice services in Lisbon, were completed. The complex broke with the traditions for court complexes, adopting a modernist language that was highly original in conceptual terms. Its urban integration, volume, expression and functionality, together with the new materials employed in the construction, made this an imposing building in its own right. The public spaces received particular attention in the design, both those outside in the “plaza” and those on the interior, the latter revealing an interesting notion of public space through the refined ornamental details and the relationship created with the exterior and the daylight – a clear symbolic allusion to transparency. The design also showcased diverse works of art in the building, including works by Jorge Barradas, Júlio Resende, Querubim Lapa and Amândio Silva.