The Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex is located in Trenton, the capital of the State of New Jersey. It is home to the New Jersey Supreme Court and other judicial and executive departments. Named in honor of Richard J. Hughes, a former Governor and Chief Justice in New Jersey, it is one several judicial centers in the city.
New Jersey Supreme Court and government offices
editMuch of Judiciary of New Jersey is housed in the complex, including the courtroom, chambers and offices of the State Supreme Court, the courtroom and several chambers and offices of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, and the administrative headquarters of the statewide court system.
It is also home to New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety[1] which is under the purview of the New Jersey Attorney General,[2] both of which maintain their main offices there.
The New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate was based in the complex until it was eliminated in 2010 during the governorship of Chris Christie.
Construction and architecture
edit
The idea for the building was originally conceived in 1976 and construction began in 1978.[3][4][5] Grad Associates (Newark) and StudioHillier (Princeton) were involved in the design, for which they won an American Institute of Architects award.[6][7] The Justice Center complex was completed in 1982.[8] The modernist building is an 41.62 m (136.5 ft) eleven-story tall structure has approximately 1,080,000 square feet. It can be seen as three buildings in one: two eight story office building around a cube, which houses the court. Indoor bridges connect the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth floors. The two main entrances from the street lead into the atrium lobby which is open through ten stories to a rooftop skylight.[4] Floors 1-8 is office space, chambers, and courtrooms. Floor 9 is the mechanical penthouse, level P1 is the street level, and P2 is the parking garage.[9] The atrium and parking facilities were renovated again after original construction.[10][11]
Dedication
editThe Justice Complex was dedicated in 1982 in honor of Richard J. Hughes (August 10, 1909 – December 7, 1992).[4] Hughes served as the 45th Governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973 to 1979. He is the only person to have served New Jersey as both Governor and Chief Justice.[12]
Public art
editPublic art at the complex was commissioned through the New Jersey Percent for Art Program, fulfilling a requirement in place since 1978 that every new state building include art to the value of 1.5 percent of its construction cost.[13]
Life-sized law-themed sculptures of clients and lawyers, by John Seward Johnson II, including Comprehension, are scattered throughout the complex.[14]
There are three works of cast ductile iron by Beverly Pepper: Symbiotic Marker, Mute Metaphor, Primary Presence.[15]
A 7-by-60-foot acrylic, steel, aluminum, and canvas sculptural mural by Sam Gilliam, Trenton Makes Skies Waters Spinning Wheels Red Blue, can be found in the dining room of the complex.[16]
Trenton courthouses
editTrenton is also the home Clarkson S. Fisher Federal Building and United States Courthouse which serves the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Mercer County Courthouse and Annex, the Mercer County Criminal Courthouse and the Mercer County Civil Courthouse
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Hughes Justice Complex". New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Office. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Hughes Justice Complex". State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ "New Justice‐System Complex is Planned for Trenton". The New York Times. 2 June 1977.
- ^ a b c "History and Design of the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex". NJ Dept of Law and Public Safety Office of the Attorney General. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Update" (PDF). StudioHillier. October 1978. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ "Awards". Studio Hillier. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ Brookes, Alan J Brookes; Grech, Chris (2013), The Building Envelope: Applications of New Technology Cladding, Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN 9781483144580
- ^ "Richard J. Hughes Justice Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Atrium Skylight Repairs Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex Project #A1116-00 March 7, 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex - Turner Construction Company". www.turnerconstruction.com.
- ^ "Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex Parking Garage and Plaza Remediation". EIAssociates. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (December 8, 1992). "Richard J. Hughes, Governor and Judge, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
Mr. Hughes was the only man to serve New Jersey as both Governor and Chief Justice.
- ^ Raynor, Vivien (January 20, 1985). "ART; ART FROM STATE BUILDINGS". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
Also in Trenton, the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex has works by Beverly Pepper and Sam Gilliam, together with some vulgar effigies of businessmen in colored bronze by J. Seward Johnson Jr.
- ^ "No Headline - NYTimes.com". www.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24.
- ^ Raynor, Vivien (January 20, 1985). "ART; ART FROM STATE BUILDINGS". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
Also in Trenton, the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex has works by Beverly Pepper and Sam Gilliam, together with some vulgar effigies of businessmen in colored bronze by J. Seward Johnson Jr.
- ^ Aubrey, Dan (August 30, 2017). "Small Exhibit Highlights 'Forgotten' American Artist". princetoninfo.com. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
External links
edit- HJC: photos and diagrams
- New Jersey. Treasury Department. Division of Purchase and Property (1982). Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, 25 Market Street, Trenton, New Jersey: Occupant's Handbook. N.J. Department of the Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property.