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The new Southampton Magistrates' Courts was designed and built in the 1990s by Hampshire County Council's architects department. The site was previously occupied by the OS (Ordnance Survey) with their factory and warehouse. These earlier buildings were demolished in the 1960s and only the Director General's house remains - see picture on right.

The views above are taken from the east, the entrance side. The structure is a long building stretching from east to west with the public spaces on the north side, the magistrates' retiring rooms on the south side and the court rooms running though the middle. The white rendered appearance of most of the structure was chosen to blend in well with the rendered classical 18th century buildings in the surrounding streets. 

The north side is the most spectacular part of the building. This contains the public spaces. Although facing north, they are well lit by the windows curving up to the roof. They have an attractive view over gardens running along their full length.
The south side is broken up with the bays of magistrates' retiring rooms. At the west end is the car park, deliberately kept low.