One of the major project challenges of this renovation was to maintain the architectural integrity of the original Dirksen building designed Mies van der Rohe while integrating state-of-the-art technology to take the courts into the 21st Century. The third phase of a five-phase expansion of the U.S. District Court within the E.M. Dirksen Courthouse, this project involved the complete demolition and renovation of three floors. The incorporation of four new two-story courtrooms required removing and replacing structural columns with transfer girders. The District Courtrooms have an extremely high level of finish and incorporate the latest communication, security and projection technology. The project also includes four Magistrate Courtrooms, judges' chambers, offices, conference spaces, holding cells, miscellaneous public spaces, renovation of the elevator lobbies and master clock system throughout the building. In addition, all the elevator cabs were modernized and a security desk was added to the main lobby.
The symmetrical layout of the four new District Courtrooms restores the basic organization of the original courtrooms. Reduced height and width of the spectator gallery focuses the space on the well area. The change in massing is achieved by floating the plane of the gallery walls within the plane of the well area walls. Similarly the ceiling of the spectator area floats beneath the plane of the well area ceiling.