Snøhetta has been chosen to design a new National Court of Asylum and Administrative Court in Montreuil, France. The proposed scheme sees the two courts arranged on one site around large green areas, offering what the team calls “a place of calm during what can be a time of intense turmoil.”

The court will function as a place where judges hear the cases of individuals who appeal against decisions made by the wing of the French government overseeing refugees and asylum seekers. Hearing thousands of annual cases of people from over 160 countries, the court is considered the final jurisdiction for deciding the future of asylum seekers in France, overseeing residence permit disputes, refusals, and orders to leave the country.

Recognizing the positive impact of natural environments on mental and physical health, the scheme seeks to use the natural landscape as an extension of the court, including a 7500-square-foot planted garden accessed from the lobby and waiting areas, and connections to a wider series of public walkways. Given the language barriers that may exist among asylum seekers using the courts, a clear visitor flow has been established through internal and external pathways, along with universal signage and wayfinding.

“In this project, we wanted to introduce large gardens to support people who may be in a challenging situation by providing a place of calm and relief, hopefully making their experience less stressful,” explains Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. “It is, therefore, essential to increase access to green areas in dense urban environments, where contact with nature is often a rarity, especially in projects like these where people are emotionally vulnerable. We want architecture and landscape to be meaningful tools to affirm the role of justice in a democratic state.”

In addition to the experience of asylum seekers, the scheme responds to the needs of the court’s 940 employees through natural daylight in offices, secluded outdoor courtyards, and clear separations between public and private areas. The asylum and administrative courts will share a nursery, sports hall, and restaurant, while a modular approach to the office floors facilitates the expansion of the workplaces as the courts evolve.

In addition to new construction, the project sees the "respectful rehabilitation" of a nine-story building dating from 1963. The building’s facade will be renovated to express the beauty of its concrete framework, regular grids, and large glazed windows, while a rooftop terrace will introduce panoramic views of the surroundings.

Construction of the scheme is expected to begin in 2024, with completion scheduled for 2026.

News of the scheme comes weeks after Snøhetta unveiled plans for the new Vesterheim campus in Iowa. The firm has also recently completed a lantern-like maritime center in Denmark while unveiling a new design for the Westchester Square Library in the Bronx.