Manchester Civil Justice Centre

Civil Justice Centre
Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Spinningfields
Alternative namesMCJC
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeHigh-rise Courts
Architectural styleFuturist / Expressionist
LocationSpinningfields, Manchester, England
Coordinates53°28′52″N 02°15′09″W / 53.48111°N 2.25250°W / 53.48111; -2.25250
Completed2007
Cost£113 million
Height
Roof80 m (260 ft)
Technical details
Floor count17
Floor area35,160 m2 (378,500 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Denton Corker Marshall
DeveloperAllied London
Structural engineerMott MacDonald
Main contractorBovis Lend Lease

Manchester Civil Justice Centre is a governmental building in Manchester, England. Completed in 2007, it houses Manchester's county court and the Manchester District Registry of the High Court, the city's family proceedings court, the district probate registry, and the regional and area offices of the Court Service.

The Civil Justice Centre was the first major court complex built in Britain since George Edmund Street's Royal Courts of Justice in London completed in 1882. Its distinctive architecture has been nicknamed the "filing cabinet" because of its cantilever floors at the end of the building. The design takes inspiration from Expressionist architecture, as well as the artistic Futurist movement of the 1920s which promotes dynamic lines and a sense of fluid movement.

Commissioned by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (now the Ministry of Justice), the building was funded as a Public–private partnership and is the centrepiece of the Spinningfields development. The building opened to widespread acclaim for its expressionist dynamism, environmental credentials and high-quality design. It was nominated for RIBA's Stirling Prize in 2007 and named one of the "Best British buildings of the 21st century" by Blueprint magazine in 2011.