Polk County Historic Courthouse

Project highlights: Polk County Historic Courthouse

Architecture firm: OPN Architects

Owner: Polk County

Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Category: General

Project site: Courthouse

Building program type(s): Previously developed

The restoration of Des Moines’ historic Polk County Courthouse represents the final phase of a multi-year plan to shape a new courts campus in the city’s downtown core. Two additional buildings, the Polk County Justice Center and the Polk County Criminal Courts, both recently renovated buildings, sit adjacent to the original 1906 courthouse to form a new center of justice, dignity, and safety.

The historic courthouse was designed by the celebrated Des Moines firm Proudfoot and Bird and served the Fifth Judicial District for nearly 120 years. It is one of the few remaining Beaux-Arts style buildings in the region. As Polk County’s needs have evolved over the last century, demands on its courtroom spaces catalyzed short-term solutions that lasted much longer than intended. Numerous superficial repairs and alterations were undertaken without consideration of the courthouse’s historical context. Its renovation gives the building new life while restoring its original architecture and details. 

The team split its restoration into two phases to maintain essential court functions during construction. The project’s first phase focused on revitalizing the courthouse’s exterior limestone and metal as well as overall site improvements. Its second phase was staggered across four years to ensure continued operation as its interior was restored to its original grandeur while also meeting the demands of a 21st-century courthouse.

The team removed dropped ceilings throughout the building to unveil original ornate plaster molding in serious disrepair. In each of the original six courtrooms, more than 100 years of smoke, dirt, and grime were scrubbed from the existing marble, terrazzo flooring, and woodwork. Once the team removed the patchwork tile ceilings, carpet, and paint, it conducted historically accurate plaster repairs and restored the original paint schemes. The original light fixtures were retrofitted with efficient LEDs, and new lighting was added to showcase the courthouse’s rotunda, lobby ceilings, and artwork. Historic furniture was also salvaged and restored, including the judges’ benches.

In other areas that were not fully restored, the team integrated adaptations to create contemporary courtrooms that honor the existing architecture, creating a new layout that shapes flexible and just courtroom use. This strategy also allows the state to schedule more cases across fewer courtrooms and adds spaces for users to hold private conferences, which wasn’t possible before. Numerous functional and safety challenges were addressed by replacing all of the courthouse’s mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. Audio-visual upgrades have also propelled the courthouse into the modern age.

Finally, the team reorganized the dedicated detainee circulation, separating it from the courthouse staff, judges, and public and aligning it with current best practices. Doing so, and integrating the circulation with the original architecture, has bolstered security and safety for all courthouse users.