28.09.2026

Lille Judicial Court: Eiffage Construction delivers a project with numerous technical challenges

Here we are: the construction site of the new Lille Judicial Court (TJ) has been delivered! An example of concentrated challenges visible on the facade and design principles constrained by the nature of the building and its site environment. The first courthouse in France to implement the principles of the new judicial guide (complete separation of flows of people, no "random" encounters in the corridors), the new Lille Judicial Court is also a project with numerous challenges that mobilized all the expertise of Eiffage Construction's teams.

The site's technical constraints, including the management of a flush water table and the proximity to a railway tunnel with operating high-speed trains (TGV), were addressed in order to create two basement levels.

For the latter, an anti-vibration system was installed to filter out all vibrations coming from the trains. It consists of spring boxes and elastomeric bearings between the concrete elements.
Result: vibrations are prevented from traveling from the outside into the courthouse.
A lawyer's sheet of paper must not vibrate in the courtroom.

A remarkable building due to its triangular architecture reminiscent of the Wankel engine, the Judicial Court is also notable for a bold aesthetic choice: glass facades in 6 different colors (khaki, pink, dark blue, gray, orange-red, blue-gray) visible from the outside, but not from the inside.

Nearly 28,000 m³ of concrete were used, with particular attention paid to the 700 m² pink concrete facade, whose shade required continuous monitoring.

The result: a 24,000 m² GFA building, colorful on the outside but not on the inside, complying with the latest circulation standards, offering 15% more floor area compared to the current court, and seamlessly integrated into its urban environment.

The future Lille Judicial Court will reinforce the metropolis's public facility offerings while serving as a new benchmark in the group's expertise in judicial and institutional buildings.

A big congratulations to our 150 tradespeople for their work over the past 5 years on this building, meeting the APIJ's two main expectations: being a welcoming space for court users and litigants, as well as a high-quality workplace for staff.

Client / Contracting Authority: Public Agency for Justice Real Estate (APIJ – Agence publique pour l’immobilier de la justice)

Lead Designer / Project Management Team: OMA, Dutch architecture practice co-founded by architect Rem Koolhaas, with Season Menu & Associés architectural practice, engineering consulting firms WSP (engineering), VS-A (facades), BMF (cost management/economics), Base (landscaping), and Quadrim (operation and maintenance)

General Contractor, consortium lead: Eiffage Construction

Consortium: Eiffage Énergie Systèmes, Goyer

Other contributor: Eiffage Route

Around forty subcontractors are also involved on the project.

Eiffage Construction
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