U.S. District Courthouse, Salt Lake City (2018)
I captured this striking silver, cubic structure during a 2018 road trip across Utah. Rising 10 stories on a central garden terrace, the building is known locally as “The Borg Cube” or “Ice Cube” for its mirrored aluminum and glass exteriorabajournal.com+10ksl.com+10architectmagazine.com+10sltrib.com+9fox13now.com+9reddit.com+9.
Architect: Thomas Phifer & Partners, with Naylor Wentworth Lund as executive architect
Construction: Began in 2008/2009, completed and opened April 2014
Notable Honors:
LEED Gold certification for sustainability
2015 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture
Though architects praised its “grounded dignity, immovable order, and transparency as a metaphor for justice, public reception has been deeply divided - ranging from admiration for its innovative design and interior light-filled atrium to criticism for looking like an air conditioner or the Borg Cube.
Known for its crystalline 10-story atrium, suspended lighting installation, glass-wrapped courtrooms, and vertical anodized sunscreens, the building balances security needs (including setbacks and blast protection) with a commitment to natural light and civic transparency.
© 2018 JC Buck
