New
Federal Court Building in Melbourne (March 1999)
The Federal
Court of Australia has moved into an outstanding new purpose-built
Commonwealth Law Courts building in Melbourne.
The building,
at the corner of William and Latrobe Streets, has brought
the High, Federal, and Family Courts under one roof in
the city for the very first time.
It contains
17 levels and covers 35,000 square metres. The building's
43 courtrooms are comprised of 25 Federal Court, 17 Family
Court and one High Court.
The building
has been described as the most technologically advanced
courthouse in the country. All the Courts are provided
with facilities for high technology litigation support
and for video-conferencing. The
building, which is located on top of the Flagstaff Station,
has been built with the public as its priority. It embodies
a philosophy that emphasises light, access and visibility.
All Federal courtrooms have natural light. Some have direct
views of the Flagstaff Gardens and views have been achieved
in others through the use of specially designed mirrors
and windows.
The building
overlooks historic Flagstaff Gardens at the northern end
and Little Lonsdale Street and the city skyline at the
southern end. It is notable for its extensive use of glass
and the lofty public space that provides the link between
the administration section of the court and that containing
the court rooms.
The development
of the building involved an unprecedented and very successful
dialogue between the judiciary, the architects and the
Attorney General's department.
The Federal
Court in Melbourne had previously used the historic former
High Court building at 450 Little Bourke Street since
the High Court vacated it in 1980.
