Maricopa County Downtown Court Tower

[gymratmanaz]

I promise...plus will be fun to see how your design compares to the one they go with. How do we find what they picked? It could be a vibrant location spot if done right! Fingers crossed!

[glynnjamin]

Let me see if I can dig it up. I know I have the CAD files on my computer back in Phoenix. I may have some screenshots in an email somewhere.

[plinko]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

I know the cost would have been prohibitive, given that this is a public building, but white limestone facade would have looked marvelous with the other materials they chose. It is too bad we've stopped building magnificent public buildings in this country.

I agree with your first sentence to some extent, but I personally would have rather seen it be a deep dark gray concrete.

The problem with large swaths of white stone on a facade in the desert is that it's blinding.

As to your 2nd sentence, I disagree, especially given the GSA's 20+ year effort to build better 'architectural' courthouses. At the local level it's more difficult given funding limitations, but to me the County has done a wonderful thing here by consolidating so much into a single building. If only the Plaza de Maricopa had also been built.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Like Plinko said, considering some of the other government buildings constructed in the past 40 years (especially in Phoenix and Tucson), this one's setting the bar pretty high for modern government building design.

It could be worse. I personally can't stand the CalTrans building in Downtown LA that was constructed a few years back, but a lot of people love that thing...

[nickw252]

Maricopa County now formally owns a new downtown court tower, which will open on Arizona Centennial Day in February.

County officials on Friday received the certificate of occupancy for the $341 million project and celebrated the structural completion of the much-publicized tower, located near Second Avenue and Madison Street.

The 16-story tower, under construction since late 2008, is the county's largest capital project. When it opens on Feb. 14, it will have 22 courtrooms and capacity to house 10 more in the future.

AZ Central

[plinko]

The copper is quite pretty (especially against the green glazing)...the landlord beige EIFS? Not so much...(longing for limestone or even precast)

[HX_Guy]

Building is actually pretty impressive when you're down next to it...they really need to get the building directly in front of it demolished though, that "alley" is too confined feeling and this building deserves to have a nice plaza in front of it.

[mwadswor]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Building is actually pretty impressive when you're down next to it...they really need to get the building directly in front of it demolished though, that "alley" is too confined feeling and this building deserves to have a nice plaza in front of it.

Which building in front of it? The condemned Madison Street jail or the East court tower? If you're talking about the jail, couldn't agree more. If you're talking about the east court tower, that seems unlikely given the need for court space and the bridge they built between the 2 buildings.

Also, the alley is awesome if you actually use the area instead of just admiring the pretty buildings (not that there's anything wrong with that ). It's consistently 10-15 degrees cooler in that alley than the surrounding area, which is great if you walk through/around the area every day.

Great pictures, btw.

[HX_Guy]

Yea, I was talking about the jail and there are (or were) plans to demolish it and build a plaza that extends from the new court building all the way to Jefferson.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Yea, I was talking about the jail and there are (or were) plans to demolish it and build a plaza that extends from the new court building all the way to Jefferson.

Do you believe Maricopa County Jail is getting more extremely overcrowded. There is no room to expanded more new cell or more new dorm, too. On whether if they can construction more cell room and more new county jail. They have shutdown the tent by outdoor.

[nickw252]

I noticed the Court Tower is starting to oxidize. IMO it looks unkept and run-down but once it turns green it will look better. I think I like the looks of the polished copper dome on the Old Capitol Building better. To each his own.