Alright, here's my list of the Top 20 Courthouses In B.C.
Feel VERY free to mute this conversation.
Basic notes:
- A courthouse must be in current operation at least part of the time to count
- Most photos come from the awesome courthouses.co website
Here we go!
#20: Port Coquitlam (1996)
- Bold colours, nice mix of textures
- Good dramatic staircase
- Sharp angles are fun
- Bold colours, nice mix of textures
- Good dramatic staircase
- Sharp angles are fun



#19: Stewart (Date unknown)
- Suitably old-timey looking for an old-timey town
- Fact it's also the town museum and Service BC outlet amuses me
- Suitably old-timey looking for an old-timey town
- Fact it's also the town museum and Service BC outlet amuses me

#18: Sechelt (2003)
- Good integration into the natural environment
- Fun use of wood for exterior flourishes
- Proof one-storey courthouses don't have to be lame
- Good integration into the natural environment
- Fun use of wood for exterior flourishes
- Proof one-storey courthouses don't have to be lame




#17: Lillooet (1926)
- Nice laid back but authoritative feel
- Dramatic mountains
- Warm colours for a town that is always five degrees too warm
- Nice laid back but authoritative feel
- Dramatic mountains
- Warm colours for a town that is always five degrees too warm


#16: Nakusp (1910)
- Stately in its simpleness
- I don't know what the final sentence on the plaque means, and I enjoy that
- Stately in its simpleness
- I don't know what the final sentence on the plaque means, and I enjoy that



#15: Prince Rupert (1922)
- Just a BEAST of a building
- Ageless
- Very intimidating crest right at the front doors
- Just a BEAST of a building
- Ageless
- Very intimidating crest right at the front doors



#14: Kelowna (1994)
- Proof that a modern building can look dramatic
- Great staircase
- ❤️ that shade of brick
- Proof that a modern building can look dramatic
- Great staircase
- ❤️ that shade of brick

#13: Surrey (1991)
- Dramatic gold nameplate that works great for TV/online images, unlike Vancouver, not that I'm constantly annoyed by that or anything
- Good example of concrete jungle architecture actually coming together okay
- Simple but effective courthouse steps
- Dramatic gold nameplate that works great for TV/online images, unlike Vancouver, not that I'm constantly annoyed by that or anything
- Good example of concrete jungle architecture actually coming together okay
- Simple but effective courthouse steps


#12: Powell River (1974)
- Somehow makes green and yellow a great colour scheme
- Like Sechelt, excellent use of playing off Sunshine Coast culture
- Love the little sideblinds on the windows
- Almost good enough to make me forget how great the old Powell River courthouse is
- Somehow makes green and yellow a great colour scheme
- Like Sechelt, excellent use of playing off Sunshine Coast culture
- Love the little sideblinds on the windows
- Almost good enough to make me forget how great the old Powell River courthouse is




#11: Penticton (1949)
- Yeahhhh breathe in that Art Deco mood
- Unique style for B.C. courthouses
- Classy shade of yellow
- Neat flourishes all over the place
- Yeahhhh breathe in that Art Deco mood
- Unique style for B.C. courthouses
- Classy shade of yellow
- Neat flourishes all over the place




#10: Fraser Lake (date unknown)
- Actually just the town curling rink
- This is the photo the B.C. government uses to show people where it is
- Without knowing anything else, the concept amuses me
- Actually just the town curling rink
- This is the photo the B.C. government uses to show people where it is
- Without knowing anything else, the concept amuses me

#9: Chilliwack (2002)
- You build a classical courthouse in the middle of a growing city in the 21st century, you get props
- Strong pillars + glass combo
- Reaches for grandeur, but doesn't quite make it
- You build a classical courthouse in the middle of a growing city in the 21st century, you get props
- Strong pillars + glass combo
- Reaches for grandeur, but doesn't quite make it


#8: Duncan (1970)
- A full 90% of this is due to the government building, not the actual courthouse. But it's part of the same complex, so
- The courthouse has a subdued respectability for a one-storey building. It's fine
- But seriously, look at the government cylinder!
- A full 90% of this is due to the government building, not the actual courthouse. But it's part of the same complex, so
- The courthouse has a subdued respectability for a one-storey building. It's fine
- But seriously, look at the government cylinder!



#7: Revelstoke (1913)
- THAT DOME
- Exudes a very particular time and space extremely well
- Almost too much going on (i am not a professional architecture critic)
- THAT DOME
- Exudes a very particular time and space extremely well
- Almost too much going on (i am not a professional architecture critic)



#6: Rossland (1901)
- Cuuuuuuuuuute
- Engraving "COURT HOUSE" and "AD 1900" is a fun superfluous touch
- Dramatic angles are pleasing, especially on the sidehill
- Cuuuuuuuuuute
- Engraving "COURT HOUSE" and "AD 1900" is a fun superfluous touch
- Dramatic angles are pleasing, especially on the sidehill




#5: Atlin (1900)
- Ridiculously pretty and well-maintained
- Delighted there are still court hearings in a town of 500 people inaccessible to the rest of B.C.
- Now usually an art gallery, can't figure out if court hearings are still in this building or not, frankly don't care
- Ridiculously pretty and well-maintained
- Delighted there are still court hearings in a town of 500 people inaccessible to the rest of B.C.
- Now usually an art gallery, can't figure out if court hearings are still in this building or not, frankly don't care


#4: Vernon (1914)
- Just a beast of a courthouse; there is no way this could be anything other than a courthouse
- 100 carloads of granite were used in construction; floors are 12 inches thick, i am very intimidated
- HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE
- Just a beast of a courthouse; there is no way this could be anything other than a courthouse
- 100 carloads of granite were used in construction; floors are 12 inches thick, i am very intimidated
- HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE



#3: Nanaimo (1896)
- Historic+quaint+Rattenbury+still in use = ALL GOOD THINGS
- More of a time-machine feel than classic Interior courthouses
- Sort of love the fact a super generic building was literally tacked on the back when its small size became too much of an issue
- Historic+quaint+Rattenbury+still in use = ALL GOOD THINGS
- More of a time-machine feel than classic Interior courthouses
- Sort of love the fact a super generic building was literally tacked on the back when its small size became too much of an issue




#2: Fernie (1910)
- Looks cute AND grand at the same time, how is that possible
- Photographs well at night, in show, with mountain backdrop, without it, ugh i'm jealous
- Not a full-time courthouse and seems sort of separate from town, so it ultimately loses to...
- Looks cute AND grand at the same time, how is that possible
- Photographs well at night, in show, with mountain backdrop, without it, ugh i'm jealous
- Not a full-time courthouse and seems sort of separate from town, so it ultimately loses to...




Generated by Thread Navigator
Press ⌘ + S to quick-export
