Nottingham Crown Court, or more formally the High Court of Justice and Crown Court, Nottingham is a Crown Court and meeting place of the High Court of Justice on Canal Street in Nottingham, England. The building also accommodates the County Court and the Family Court.
Nottingham Crown Court | |
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Location | Canal Street, Nottingham |
Coordinates | 52°56′54″N 1°08′48″W / 52.9483°N 1.1466°W |
Built | 1981 |
Architect | Property Services Agency |
Architectural style(s) | Modern style |
Shown in Nottinghamshire |
Until the early 1980s, the Crown Court sat in the Shire Hall on High Pavement.[1] However, as the number of court cases in Nottingham grew, it became necessary to commission a more substantial courthouse for criminal matters. The site selected by the Lord Chancellor's Department on Canal Street was occupied by a row of shops (including a baker's shop owned by the amateur astronomer, Thomas Bush)[2] and an old canal-side factory.[3]
The new building was designed by architects, P. Harvard, K. Bates and J. Mansell, on behalf of the Property Services Agency and faced with buff stone.[4] The building was opened in two phases: the first phase, which cost £2.2 million,[5] opened in 1980[6] and the second phase, which cost £6.2 million,[5] opened in 1988.[7] The design involved a glass atrium which projected forward, connecting two wings which were faced with extensive expanses of stone. Internally, the building was equipped with nine courtrooms.[8]