other institutions for this new century:
BAU604 Qingpu District People’s Court

this new century (so far)

It has been suggested that 50 years from now, this particular time in human history will be considered Deleuzian. No doubt it could be argued that his agenda (destroy the world as we know it, dissolve the subjects of society, disintegrate its social structures and institutions, minorize its politics, and stutter its language) has opened up opportunities for highly educated and extremely articulate social conservatives; for tens of thousands of social media sophists sprouting evidence-free opinions; for pseudo-scientist peddling alternative facts; for artists producing commodities rather than engaging in critical practice; for self-interested, ill-informed public leaders; for obfuscators in general, to move society toward another pre-enlightenment.

Conversely, Deleuze’s agenda also includes the potential for countering what is increasingly becoming a post-factual world. He calls for all of us to: create a new world, one of equity, freedom, and tolerance; form new inclusive subjects with which society can engage; produce new tolerant options of existence; give a strong voice to the often unheard minorities; and invent new compositions in language to push beyond slogan and cliché. He asked us to reject opinion and embrace evidence supported by the three great bodies of thought we use to make sense of reality: philosophy, science and art.

a better institution

This building resists the trend of public institutions embracing commercial aesthetics and iconography – institutions becoming shops (looking more approachable but still remaining powerfully aloof). And being a public building, it can’t explore the suggested alternative – shops becoming institutions (being part of the ephemeral market while trying to look more substantive). This building tests a third alternative, the idea of institutions becoming better institutions,

the cradle and the jewel

All support services and spaces are located in a clearly articulated element that sits under, and wraps up two opposing sides of the courtrooms. Easily accessible to all; flexible and open to change; providing human-scaled services; aware of tradition, but embracing the future; interested in the minority point of view as well as the majority; this element forms a cradle of support, without which the courts would be unstable and inaccessible.

The courtrooms are gathered together in a centralized faceted form that, like a precious gemstone, sits within the embrace of the cradle. Intended to be clad in a semi-precious material, this function of justice is a jewel without which the cradle would be an empty gesture.

Like a well-balanced society, the cradle needs the jewel as much as the jewel needs the cradle.