Tribunal, Courthouse in District 3, Bucharest, Romania.
Bucharest Tribunal occupies a rebuilt eight-level building on Bulevardul Unirii, on the site of the former Junior store, and houses both the tribunal and the District 2 Court. It has 27,000 m2 of floor space: two underground levels holding detention cells, archives and parking, a ground floor for public services and registries, and 26 courtrooms on the first and second floors.
The court occupies the rebuilt Magazin Junior, a store opened in 1987 and closed in 1992. After standing unused, the building was declared a public utility in 1999 and assigned to the Ministry of Justice, which first intended it for the High Court of Cassation and Justice. The new courthouse opened on 11 December 2006, keeping the old atrium, stairs and halls.
The building keeps the atrium of the former Junior store, called the Hall of Lost Steps, along with its old staircases and hallways. Visitors pass through this surviving commercial interior to reach the courtrooms, so the courthouse carries a department store's layout into its judicial use.
The building is accessible by public transport in District 3 and requires advance registration for public access to proceedings. Visitors should plan visits during regular business hours and bring valid identification due to security protocols.
The building preserves the atrium, stairways and halls of the former Junior store, opened in 1987 and nicknamed "the store of mirrors"; it closed in 1992 and stood unused until 1999. The two basement levels hold detention cells built to European standards, each with its own sanitary fittings and air conditioning.
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