Brindisi Courthouse


The Brindisi Courthouse is a judicial complex located on Via Angelo Lanzellotti in Brindisi, Italy.

History

In 1957, the Ministry of Justice launched a public competition for the design of the new judicial offices in Brindisi. The project was entrusted to architects Carlo Aymonino and Sergio Lenci. It was completed in 1961.

Description

The courthouse features a complex composition of volumes of varying heights, including cylindrical, pyramidal, box-like, and protruding elements. Each facade exhibits different arrangements of openings, while the floors are organized according to function: from the ground floor with pilotis and a central courtyard to the sixth floor housing court offices, a tribunal, the prosecutor's office and a library.
The main body is a six-story rectangular block with ribbon windows framed by pilasters, crowned by a triangular volume for the library. The north facade, facing Via Togliatti, stands out with a low volume supported on pilotis and a sculptural spiral staircase, topped by a pyramidal volume. A taller cylindrical element vertically connects the building to the corner with Via Togliatti. The south end features an external walkway connecting to the later-built prosecutor's office. On the west side, articulated volumes and cylindrical elements serve as vertical connectors.

Critical reception

The use of reinforced concrete, pilotis, and pure forms reflects Modern architecture principles, while the experimental approach emphasizes the relationship between light and architecture through a plastically articulated volume composition, influenced by Le Corbusier.