Juridicum, University law building in Halle, Germany

The Juridicum is a law school building in Halle that features a glass cube reading room and a stepped section containing seminar spaces and offices at Universitätsplatz 5. The structure combines raw concrete, wooden slats, metal accents, and glass facades that create an open and functionally organized interior.

Construction began on 11 November 1996 and the building was handed over to the Martin-Luther-Universität on 19 October 1998, in time for the 1998/99 winter semester. The inauguration was attended by Minister President Reinhard Höppner, Justice Minister Karin Schubert and Gil Carlos Rodríguez Iglesias, then President of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. The budget of 34.87 million marks was clearly undercut.

The Juridicum's name comes from the Latin juridicum, referring to the law faculty housed here. The branch library of Rechtswissenschaft belongs to the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt, so its holdings are part of the state library system rather than a faculty collection. The reading room's cherry-wood walls and dark blue carpet are visible to anyone entering.

Visitors should check the library hours in advance since access is limited during certain times of the year. The building is less crowded outside of regular lecture times, making it easier to view the architecture and spaces at a relaxed pace.

The Juridicum won the Deutscher Architekturpreis and the Deutscher Städtebaupreis in 2003, and the Architekturpreis des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt in 2001. The competition for its design was initiated by the state finance ministry together with the city of Halle, and the first prize went to the Cologne office of Thomas van den Valentyn and Gernot Schulz.