£10m Mold magistrates court unveil new works

Mold Magistrates Court has unveiled the results of a £10m refurbishment.

The Liverpool studio of international architects Austin-Smith:Lord was contracted by Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) to redesign the building to create an improved working environment, meet current and future needs and give the building a sustainable future.

The most noticeable change to the 1960's building is the removal of the monumental ceremonial staircase that gave external access to the first floor court hall. This is replaced with a contemporary ground floor entrance designed to be more welcoming and inclusive.

The works include refurbishment of the courtrooms and support facilities and upgrading of public spaces, carried out after Austin-Smith:Lord produced a masterplan for the building in 2007.

Mike Yates, Director at Austin-Smith:Lord, said: "We worked with the spirit of the existing building to bring out its innate qualities, such as quality of daylight, use of materials and clear organisation."

The building has received outstanding feedback from its users.

The practice has a strong history of work in this sector, having completed the Caernarfon Justice Centre, which was rated BREEAM Excellent, Cambridge and Ipswich Crown Courts, Runcorn Magistrates Courts and Llandudno Magistrates Court since 2005.

Austin-Smith:Lord is a multidisciplinary practice specialising in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Conservation and Interior Design. The Practice is active in a broad range of sectors across the UK and Europe with offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, London and Glasgow.