Five facts about the ICC’s new home

The new ICC permanent premises in The Hague. © Benjamin Duerr

The International Criminal Court made the long-awaited move to its new and permanent premises in The Hague, the Netherlands this month. Here are five facts about the building.

ICC courtroom viewed from the gallery. © Benjamin Duerr

1. Located in The Hague’s famous dunes, the new premises boast 54,600 m² of floor space, three courtrooms, 1200 workstations, a library, a public area and 72,000 m²  of grounds.

 

Judge’s bench. © Benjamin Duerr

2. Six separate-but-connected buildings house the different Court organs and sections. The courtrooms are in the centrally-situated Court Tower.

 

Library for ICC staff. © Benjamin Duerr

3.The structure’s architecture recalls the rolling dune landscape while embodying seven values: Justice, Human Dignity, Openness, Credibility, Safety, Global and Icon.

 

Room for press conferences which can be transformed to a fourth courtroom. © Benjamin Duerr

4. Construction took three years and the project cost came in at €206 million, funded by the 123 ICC member states. As host state, the Netherlands provided the site at no cost.

 

Courtyard. © Benjamin Duerr

5. The building’s five courtyards feature different landscape styles, representing each of the world’s regions.

 

Images courtesy of Benjamin Duerr, ICC Observer.

This article was originally published in The 2015-16 Global Justice Monitor.