Assessment of Courthouses’ Design Principles via Spatial Analysis of Konya Courthouse

Courthouses as the spatial equivalent of law are seen in the building group with complex functions which should be designed according to specific design criteria based on security focus. The forefront/background distinction obtained through the literature special to courthouses is important to maintain the continuous and secure circulation of different user groups. It is crucial to evaluate the spatial correspondence of design decisions and determine the changes occurred in the building during occupancy and the results of these changes through spatial analysis to obtain data for the designs in the future. In this scope, Konya Courthouse is assessed in the sense of its first design decisions and the changes in time depending on the forefront/background spatial analysis. According to this assessment, it is determined that the forefront/background distinction could be maintained in convict circulation however it could not be properly provided in judicial staff circulation. As a result, the proposals such as applying the forefront/background analysis intently in design phase and designing the reserve blocks in a way to be adopted in forefront/background distinction when it is necessary are revealed for the courthouses to be built in the future.