Amid the ongoing debate over the use of modern architectural styles in federal buildings, the design of the new wing of the federal courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes an obvious attempt to blend with the existing structure.
Robert A.M. Stern Architects kept the original 1918 courthouse and its traditional look when the firm designed its expansion. RAMSA added an eight-story tower that retains some of the original courthouse’s characteristics without directly mimicking the Greek columns at the main entrance.
Construction on the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse annex was completed this summer. The $165 million project is part of the General Services Administration’s broader plan to renovate or build new courthouses across the country.
“Our new annex, clad in precast concrete panels to match the limestone of the original courthouse, will defer to the existing building at the street,” RAMSA said on its website. The design retains “the ceremonial entrance on West Trade Street and the historic lobby and gallery," the firm said.
Traditional Versus Modern
In June, a group of Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to require all new federal buildings to be designed in traditional styles. The proposal mirrors former President Donald Trump’s 2020 order encouraging architects to use traditional design in federal buildings.
A competing piece of legislation was filed in February by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Their bill blocks the adoption of an official style for federal buildings.
Both groups want federal officials to solicit public input before making a final decision on architectural styles for new buildings.
The GSA's courthouse program has commissioned new designs covering both traditional and modern architectural styles. Four new federal courthouses in Alabama — in Anniston, Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa — deploy classic architectural styles. But new courthouses in San Antonio and Greenville, Mississippi, are clearly modern in their style.
In addition to designing the new tower, New York-based RAMSA also led the historic preservation and renovation of the original courthouse structure. The final product doubled the courthouse’s size.
The courthouse is located in a prominent spot in uptown Charlotte and is located directly behind the left field wall of the Truist Field baseball stadium. Charlotte’s light-rail public transit line runs in front of the courthouse.
RAMSA has won several awards for its work on historic preservation and buildings with traditional designs. The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, a nonprofit advocacy group based in New York, last year gave the firm a McKim, Mead & White Award for its work on buildings at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and at the University of Portland in Oregon.
For the Record
Grant Marani, Kevin Kelly, Paul Zembsch and Philip Chan at RAMSA were lead architects. Jenkins-Peer Architects was the architecture firm of record. CGL Cos. was the courtroom designer. Brasfield & Gorrie was the general contractor.