Jury Citation

The Harry Gibbs Commonwealth Law Courts, completed in 1993 and named in honour of former Chief Justice of Australia, Sir Harry Talbot Gibbs, is a monumental and civic building that is an important and memorable feature in the Brisbane cityscape. The locality and design were considered as part of a larger context and link with buildings both within the precinct and across the river, forming a civic language of monumentality and function between the State Courts, City Hall, the Transit Centre, and the Cultural Centre.
In scale, the Law Courts building suits the dignity of the institution of the law but avoids being intimidating. A ceremonial staircase off North Quay leads into the spectacular 8-storey atrium, which acts as unifying element for the various functions within the building, provides the orientation point for users, and gives majestic views over the river to the western suburbs from all levels.
The finishes to the building are of extremely high standard and are enduring. Clad in natural stone for the ground floor and precast panels for the remainder, these components were made from the local coloured Stanthorpe aggregate with a polished finish. Internally, extensive detailed works included sandstone, granite, precast, veneers, and complex courtroom joinery, and all are evidence of the exceptional efforts and meticulous selection of products and trades.
The sculptures and art works are a lost example of the integration of arts and architecture, and were carefully curated and considered in the design. They include:

• the carved sandstone bas relief sculpture by John Elliott;
• the maquette of the Australian Coat of Arms by Australian Construction Services, Keith Ward, and Warren Langley; and
• the entrance sculpture, ‘Equilibrium’, created by Akio Makigawa.

As a piece of enduring architecture, the building’s design, philosophy, and art combined are almost unmatched, and combine to form a truly commendable building that will prevail through the years as it maintains its function and purpose within the judicial system.