Clayton County, GA - Harold R. Banke Justice Center

The Design

H R Banke Justice Center The public entry of the Justice Center, which is the courthouse, is designed in the Southern vernacular of the Federalist style. The courthouse has a traditional brick facade with portico entry and columns, and an open four-story public atrium. The architect, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) designed the building to reflect design elements found in the architecture of judiciary buildings throughout the south. Before beginning, HOK’s design team studied the architectural designs of several buildings in Clayton County. The Harold R. Banke Justice Center was designed in a manner to reflect the styles found in those historical buildings.

The courthouse is positioned to hide the inmate housing units from the main entrance. The inmate intake center is centralized between the courthouse and housing units, allowing for safe and efficient movement of inmates to and from court, while controlling access for public visitation. The Sheriff’s operations are located with the intake center for optimum control, as well, as public access.

Services

In addition to the inmate housing and court services, the Justice Center will house ancillary offices, including the Clerk of Superior & Magistrate Courts, Clerk of State Court, County Business Offices and the Sheriff’s Administration Offices. There are approximately 51 county employees relocated to the Center, combining offices from around the county to provide a "one-stop" accessibility for residents needing county business services.