Hialeah Branch Courthouse

Owner: City of Hialeah, Fla.
Location: Hialeah
Cost: $7.2 million
Contractor: City of Hialeah
Architect: Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Tampa

In the mid-1990s, the Hialeah city courthouse was condemned and demolished, with all courts business carried out in downtown Miami.

On this project, the City of Hialeah acted as its own general contractor. Though the city had experience building roads, parks and even multifamily housing, it had no experience with courthouses and therefore relied significantly upon HOK.

Building proportions were carefully chosen to respect the scale of the city and public square. Structural and finish materials were chosen to meet the aesthetic requirements of an important civic building; economic expectations; and longevity, durability and ease of maintenance. A preference was given to materials that were manufactured or found locally and that conveyed the Latin influences in the history of South Florida.

The exterior walls are of cast stone, using small exposed seashells in the cement mix - a reference to the traditional coquina stone used in historic public buildings in Florida and Havana since the 16th Century. Floors are covered with traditional Cuban tile, while walls feature wood panels.

A monumental two-story portico along the south façade creates a front porch to signify the building's entry. The entry colonnade faces and defines the northern edge of the future City Hall Plaza.

The courthouse is organized around an interior "breezeway," which contains the entry lobby and circulation to the second level. This entry hall acts as an extension of the southern portico and adds a high level of natural light and continuation of exterior floor, wall and ceiling finishes.