Elin Lohe

A New Experience of Trials: The Berlin Regional Criminal Court

‘The Berlin Regional Criminal Court’ is an innovative courthouse that focuses on the individuality and needs of the trial participants. Since a criminal courthouse is a place of particularly intense emotions and the users´ mental state profoundly impacts the justice and correctness of the conduct of proceedings and verdicts, the project explores how architecture can reduce stress, enhance concentration and prevent conflicts. The design intensively addresses the effect of nature and light, as well as materiality and colour, whilst complying with the strict requirements (e.g. different safety zones, separate flows). It offers novel solutions to the courthouse typology that positively influences the psychological state of users and delicate processes of law.
Beyond the human spatial experience, another important design component is the consideration of climate justice. The project preserves the existing park in the form of a green roof planted with vegetation suitable for bees and butterflies under threat of extinction.

More information

• Master thesis 'A New Experience of Trials: The Berlin Regional Criminal Court'