PALAIS DE JUSTICE TOURS
Located on Place Jean Jaurès, the Palais de Justice of Tours undergoes a comprehensive rehabilitation that redefines its relationship with the city and its users. Built in 1840 by Charles and Jean Jacquemin, the neoclassical building, listed within a safeguarded heritage area, retains its institutional presence while being adapted to contemporary judicial practices.
The project brings together the Tribunal d’Instance and the Tribunal de Grande Instance within a reorganized and more accessible layout. A new reception space, set beneath the peristyle, opens the courthouse to the public realm and establishes a welcoming threshold. This intervention simplifies access and clarifies circulation, addressing major renovation needs. The Salle des Pas Perdus is restored as a meaningful, light-filled space of transition between the city and the judicial sphere.
At the core of the building, natural light is reintroduced through a central opening aligned with the existing skylight, illuminating the reception areas and the new monumental staircase. This spatial device structures the interior and contributes to a calm and legible atmosphere. Public, staff, and detainee flows are carefully separated, ensuring security while improving everyday use.
Through precise architectural interventions and a restrained material palette—stone, steel joinery, and bespoke wooden elements—the project balances regulatory upgrades with respect for the historic fabric. Beyond its functional reorganization, the renovation seeks to transform the perception of the courthouse: a civic building that is open, accessible, and welcoming, allowing users to reappropriate an institution long perceived as distant.
