The designs were selected on the criteria of incorporation of the building into the surrounding landscape, safety and sustainability. Also, according to Liesbeth van der Pol “it should be a place where the victims of the criminals, who will be put on trial there, feel comfortable.” The winning architectural firms are Ingenhoven Architects from Germany, Schmidt Hammer Lassen / Bosch & Fjord from Denmark and Wiel Arets Architects & Associates from the Netherlands.
Ingenhoven’s design was praised in the jury’s report for “reflecting the values of the ICC such as transparency, communication and efficiency” and states that it can be characterized as “a happy place, which creates a new democratic image of a court and a deep philosophy to justice.”
In the following months, the International Criminal Court will consult with the three winning architectural firms under equal terms and is planning to commission work to the architect with the best design in early 2009. The building is scheduled to be completed by 2014.
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