Family Court Building Handrails
Preservation
The Family Court building on Logan Square was built in the late 30’s by the architect John Windrim. It completes the north side of square in conjunction with the Free Library in an eclectic composition that copies Place de la Concorde in Paris. It is famous for its murals and elegant courtrooms and public spaces. It never had handrails on the front steps, however, and after several injuries to staff and the public from falls, the court system requested handrails.
Claflen Associates studied the historic handrails in the building and proposed an adaptation of this design for the front of the building that was accepted by the Historical Commission. A total of twenty four units were required to provide a continuous protected path from the street to the lobby. As was anticipated and intended, the handrails have both shaped movement and become a prop for all kinds of informal lounging outside the building. As they are heavily constructed and well protected against corrosion they should provide many years of service to this important building.