Building Case Study 1: Zaha Hadid's Civil Court of Justice in Madrid

Zaha Hdid is a well known architect was born in Iraq and had done her architect degree in American University of Beirut in Lebanon and Architectural Association School of Architect in London. Zaha had won may prizes and computations and her works are famous for their abstraction. 


The envelope of the Civil Court of Justice is composed of a double-ventilated façade. The exterior layer of the façade is composed of metallic panels which respond to environmental and program conditions. These panels shift from open to closed and from flat to extended depending on the circumstances affecting them. It is also envisaged for the metallic panels on the Civil Courts of Justice rooftop incorporates photovoltaic cells. Inside the building, a spiralling semi-circular atrium is developed around the courtyard where all public space evolves. The atrium overlooks the courtyard, which serves as instant reference point for visitors to move around the building and extends to the lower ground floor, providing natural light to enter the court rooms at that level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaha_Hadid
http://www.zaha-hadid.com/education/madrid-civil-courts-of-justice
http://www.dezeen.com/2007/11/14/civil-courts-of-justice-in-madrid-by-zaha-hadid/