Re-Signifying the Old Nueces County Courthouse

Abstract

The project seeks to explore ideas that address the engagement that individuals have with historically charged buildings or monuments of their recent past. It focuses on the re-signification of an abandoned courthouse as a byproduct for the treatment of the site and its position as a potential bystander to the opening of newly acquired space replacing a large public infrastructural monument. The dynamic factors surrounding the courthouse present a unique opportunity for architecture to explore. Situated in between a growing urban and industrial center, the neglected condition of the building is also a physical embodiment of the decaying state of some of Corpus Christi's oldest neighborhoods, which currently stand as some of the last remaining monuments that thrived in conjunction with the courthouse. The dissociation of the building on site to the landscape is evident to both residents, local officials, and even tourists. The imminent removal of the hovering expressways will ultimately highlight this effect in the future. Therefore, the site intends to further support the community as a bridge for the residents of Corpus Christi's northside to the downtown area, which in itself is a connection to the rest of the city and even foreign travelers. The strict nature of the courthouse's presence will be juxtaposed within the site to demonstrate the evolution and progression of the landscape over time. When passing through this cultural hub, visitors will hope to experience and absorb aspects of what brings the residents of Corpus Christi together. The initial motivations influencing this approach to preservation stem from the intent to not treat the site as memorial; that it should be untouched, left as is. The project intends to celebrate community. The approach of intervention intends to guide us towards Re-Signification.