Dan M. Russell, Jr. United States Courthouse
Gulfport, Miss.
R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects with Canizaro Cawthorn Davis

A court complex blends old and new to unify downtown Gulfport

© Cervin Robinson

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In the central business district of Gulfport, this courthouse was sited down the street from city hall and government agency buildings, adjacent to a proposed historic district of early twentieth-century houses, on axis with a public park, and overlooking the Mississippi Sound. The site includes the landmark 1920’s former Gulfport High School, which has been renovated and adapted for court-related functions.

A new eight-story courthouse tower, the renovated high school, and their related landscapes form a court complex, including eight courtrooms with chambers and support spaces, a suite for an appellate court judge, and office space for federal officials. The tower’s upper floors house one or more courtrooms, with five-story bay windows bringing natural light to waiting areas, judges’ chambers, and jury deliberation rooms. At night these windows, along with top floor skylights, make the courthouse an illuminated beacon for downtown.

A landscaped central courtyard creates an amenity shared by the entire complex. Together with the courthouse, the renovated school forms Courthouse Square, a new green opening onto the street that serves as a gathering space for the city. This compound fully satisfies the programmatic demands of the federal government. Moreover, it incorporates the history and culture of the place to unify downtown and express the civic dignity inherent to the judicial process.

Location:
Gulfport, Miss.

Gross square footage:
217,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$46 Million

Owner:
U.S. General Services Administration

Architect:
R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects
255 West 26 Street
New York, NY 10001
telephone: 212.243.7400
telefax: 212.633.9769

Canizaro Cawthorn Davis
129 South President Street
Jackson, MS 39201.3605
telephone: 601.948.7337
telefax: 601.948.7336