An imposing cluster of official and court related buildings designed by I.M. Pei; Felix Plaza is as interesting as it can be, given that the people who visit it often don’t want to be there. The courtyards surrounding the plaza each have an impressive view of the courts, which makes some people feel that the full power of the law looms over them. Felix Plaza has a bit of an Orwellian feel, suggesting that if one has to be in attendance at the courthouse, the battle is already lost. There’s little room for the individual inside the machine of civic justice.
Background
The Pei update of the courthouse plaza took place in 1986 and was finally paid off completely in 1997. Many local citizens complained that the celebrity architect was too
expensive, that the redesign was unnecessary and that contracting and labor costs would far exceed the original budget set aside for the renovation. When the city’s threeterm mayor was finally voted out of office in 1988, it occurred amid a storm of controversy, not the least of which was the $90 million that had been skimmed off the top of the courthouse budget and distributed among various flunkies, city officials and colleagues of the mayor. At that time, it was the most audacious hustle in city history, and it set the tone for the next 20 years, encouraging corrupt civil servants to more conscientiously cover their tracks.
Comments