New Courthouse Shines Before Its Official Debut

I think what's great about Niagara Square now is the variety of different architectural styles in one location.

I agree with Greg. The diversity is a major strength.

Its not a terrible building but its another missed opportunity for Buffalo to attract one of the great architects/firms of our time. We knew what we were getting from the start with HOK. It looks like it was designed in 1997. It has the same chunky details, blue glass and random flair of the Buffalo Airport....Not great.

i got an up close look at the building this weekend and i think it turned out ok. i like the facade on niagara street. the picture of niagara square is stunning. that's a shot of a proper city. beautiful density and urbanity. can someone please sent this picture to the associated press. this should be buffalo's stock picture for future articles

Sorry, but as an out of towner, I think its a hot building.........something that Santiage Calatrava might do. Not sure how well it 'mixes' with the other buildings in the Square but then again, it sits on its own site.....and doesn't abut the other buildings that closely. The 'lightness' of the gray green glass and curtain wall is a nice contrast to some of the more muted, stone buildings close by. And it doesn't look at all like a courthouse should look.

Did I mention I like the building?

Not an HOK building. It's KPF.

I can't say I love the beige backside, rather drab, but from inside and out facing Niagara Square is striking. Overall it is a nice addition and a big imporvement from the lot that was there. The sunlight will be welcomed I am sure from Nov-March.

The photos that accompany this article are wonderful. But the beige concrete side that faces most of the city is just plain awful. That's probably why no photos of most of the exterior went with this piece. It's not that great photos of the outside of the building don't exist, but you have to get the building at the right time, and at the right angle, for those glass panels to project that reflective quality that I think was intended. I wouldn't say this building is a total miss, but it's certainly nowhere near the skyline changer I was hoping for.

The Buffalo Federal Courthouse Buildings is impressive by the shear fact that it was constructed in Buffalo and not Rochester or New York City as the project really was (is) on that caliper.

I have been working contract work and was supposed to be assigned to the Rochester Courthouse project and I, initially, assumed it was the renovation of the entire building and after my own inquiry, learned it was to be one floor which would have been a waste of my time and talent.
Incidentally, the Rochester Courthouse building is ugly enough to sit on Buff State campus; typical 1970’s architecture.

Oh, by the way, the paperwork for a security clearance is worst now than ever and I have held two security clearances in my career. The last one was in 2005 which does not streamline anything.

GSA only accepts manually fingerprinting and there is only one person in WNY who does it and he is so busy you have to make an appointment.

Don’t even think you can call your local police or even the local FBI branch because neither will assist you.

The Lockport police basically told me to get lost.

I think the building came out pretty good. All the landscaping and grass makes it feel less cold too. I can see the backside from my rear balcony and I can tell you most days it does have the reflective feature that was shown in the renderings. Cameras do not seem to pick that quality up as well.

All in all I think it is a large improvement to downtown. I also like the idea of forcing workers outside to get food which will certainly boost nearby restaurants.

I have found beauty in this building since day 1. It is beautiful. We are fortunate to have nice architecture in our midst.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmeadows2/sets/72157624390778570/

The backside of the building is a disappointment, but they got the Niagara Square facade right and the interiors are fantastic. That's one sexy spiral staircase!!!!

It is a nice building-could be a lot, lot worse. I, too, like the fact that the workers will need to go outside for meals. My one critique is that the glass they used could have been more substantive and offered a greater reflection (like the original renderings.....)

Now, on to re-skinning of the Court house on the other side of the Square=Buffalo's ugliest building.......

To me, that beige concrete background ruins the aesthetic of the building. I thought the glass was going to look more like the Avant. I'm happy for the continued investment in Buffalo, but I wish the glass was better thought out. You have a chance to just construct a building, or construct a "stunning" building. This is just ok.

I love spiral staircases; great way to look up skirts.

Overall, I think this is a very nice building. I particularly like how the swooping roofline of the front facade gracefully bridges the vista between City Hall and the Statler. The building also provides a refreshing glassiness to Niagara Square, where all the other buildings are imposing masonry affairs. That said, the rear, curving facades could have been handled more interestingly (simply using brick, comes to mind) and the pavilions that sit in front of the bulk of the building on Niagara Square look a bit to cluttered for my taste. Still, a very nice architectural achievement.

The lack of reflectivity on the beige backside is a major fail. Can it be fixed?

Amazing front, epic fail in the rear. If they had used correctly tinted glass, it may have been able to save the back though.

The original courthouse rendering always looked better than the real deal. They dropped the ball on the glass facade. Clear glass is a less than ideal solution for a concrete bunker wall. It should have at least gotten some exterior lighting behind the glass, it might have improve its night time view at least.

Its positive swagger is impressive!

I don't understand why they didn't just curtain the entire rounded side with glass. I would have preferred a darker glass and I think it's silly with the individual panes.

I agree the Niagara Square side is great. And the idea to not put a cafeteria inside is a fantastic idea. Judge Acara should get more involved in development and planning.

I would encourage you all to visit the building at different times of the day - the glass can look quite nice. Time to stop lamenting how the building doesn't match your specifications. It could have come out like the immigration building next door, complete with its Delaware Avenue side garage door. Be thankful for what we got.

Settling for what we got is how Buffalo got where it is today.

Looks great - still better than the little house (http://www.buffaloah.com/a/niagSq/niag/tc.html)preservationists wanted to save....and the hacked apart old Erlanger theater building (Much too altered....not worth saving)

Buffalo lives in the 19th and early 20th century just a little too much....at least this brings us a little more current. Save where it makes sense!

The 19th century could be Buffalo's salvation. The cute little house is one place where the courthouse employees would have gone to eat lunch.

I hope the criminals will like the building as much as we do.