Johnston City Hall

This new city hall is situated as the civic core of a new town center development in a growing mid-western suburb. The new facility combines municipal office functions with community spaces inside and out. The buildings’ cross-axial layout features a central lobby that connects interior community spaces such as the council chambers, training room, and conference rooms to the municipal offices, both open and private. Materials inside and out reflect the city hall’s purpose, while also representing the community and site specifically. Limestone, wood, and metal on the exterior imbue civic permanence while emphasizing the building’s warmth and openness. This same palette carries through to the interior to clarify the building’s organization and reinforce the interior/exterior connection. Trees on the project site that could not be preserved were salvaged and incorporated throughout the building’s interior. Walnut, oak and ash trees salvaged from the project site were milled locally to construct a custom council dais, staff workstations, and public podium in the council chambers. Salvaged wood is also used in the lobby’s public reception areas and at the entrance to each space in the staff area. One of the oak trees dated back to the city’s inception in 1969 was kept its form as a custom table in the lobby. Both the building and the site support community growth and expansion with flexibility to accommodate evolving needs. Spaces such as the large “front porch” of the city hall can host various types and sizes of events and is surrounded by site amenities such as a splash pad, a skating rink, a bicycle pump track, and large open green spaces. The building becomes a backdrop for a site that acts as a front yard for the community, serving as a forum, plaza, amphitheater, market and events space to welcome and support its community.