Helena in Lewis and Clark County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Justice Building and Montana State Library
Montana State Capitol Campus Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 15, 2021
1. Justice Building and Montana State Library Marker
Inscription.
Justice Building and Montana State Library. Montana State Capitol Campus Historic District. The 1982 Justice Building and Montana State Library, designed by Page-Werner and Partners of Great Falls, was the last building constructed under the ambitious 1972 Capitol Campus Master Plan. Designed to house the Supreme Court, Attorney Generals office, and the State Library, it is a rare Montana example of the Brutalist style. The style takes its name from the French bιton brut, or raw concrete, Brutalisms predominant material. Key elements of Brutalism are reflected here in the monolithic expanses of buff brick, bands of recessed windows, gravity-defying overhangs, and angular towers. Devoid of ornamentation, architects relied on the contrast of solids, voids, and shadows to add interest. Functionally, Brutalism gained favor across the world in the 1960s as an economical answer to much-needed public buildings. Critics, however, denounced the spare, fortress-like style as cold and inhuman. The building was renamed the Mazurek Building in 2014 to honor three-term state senator and former Attorney General Joseph Mazurek. It remains one of Montanas best examples of Brutalism, a style that did not take hold in the state.
The 1982 Justice Building and Montana State Library, designed by Page-Werner and Partners of Great Falls, was the last building constructed under the ambitious 1972 Capitol Campus Master Plan. Designed to house the Supreme Court, Attorney Generals office, and the State Library, it is a rare Montana example of the Brutalist style. The style takes its name from the French bιton brut, or raw concrete, Brutalisms predominant material. Key elements of Brutalism are reflected here in the monolithic expanses of buff brick, bands of recessed windows, gravity-defying overhangs, and angular towers. Devoid of ornamentation, architects relied on the contrast of solids, voids, and shadows to add interest. Functionally, Brutalism gained favor across the world in the 1960s as an economical answer to much-needed public buildings. Critics, however, denounced the spare, fortress-like style as cold and inhuman. The building was renamed the Mazurek Building in 2014 to honor three-term state senator and former Attorney General Joseph Mazurek. It remains one of Montanas best examples of Brutalism, a style that did not take hold in the state.
Erected by Montana Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 46° 35.172′ N, 112° 0.869′ W. Marker is in Helena, Montana, in Lewis and Clark County. It is on North Sanders Street near East 6th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 North Sanders Street, Helena MT 59601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Gold West Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
2. Justice Building and Montana State Library and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 29, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 29, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 330 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 29, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
