The existing building, located at the corner of the Molenstraat and Visserijstraat, Enschede, is designed by W.C. Metzelaar in 1902 and brought into use as district-court in 1903. The extension is realised on the terrain behind the district-court, which dilates to the Visserijstraat. 
The extension of the existent district-court contains two volumes, connected by a structure, which contains the parking-spaces and other functions. By placing the volumes in such a way according to town-planning, the extension is now a rather semi-public patio. 
The former entrance, located at the Molenstraat, is now replaced by the aperture between the existent district-court and the adjacent building at the Molenstraat, which also gives access to the path leading towards the patio. 
The planned extension at the Visserijstraat is not as massive or voluminous as the existent disctrict-court: its height does not surpass the height of this juridical building. 
The extensions edge of the roof is beneath the gutter height of the existing building, as the façade at the Visserijstraat is the guideline of mass and proportion. 
This hierarchy of the building is readable in the façade, no cliches attached. 

Design - Realization: 2000 - 2005, Competition first prize
Address: Molenstraat 23, Enschede
Client: Rijksgebouwendienst
Project team: Jo Janssen, Prof. Ir. Wim van den Bergh, Simon Zumstein, Jeroen van Haaren

Publications:

• Smaak 2002-07, ‘Het smoel dat vader en zoon Metzelaar de rechterlijke macht aanmaten past nog steeds’, pag. 38-41, 2002 Juni nr 7 Jaargang 2
• Smaak 2004-16, ‘Oude en nieuwe soberheid’, pag. 21, 2014 jaargang 4, nr. 16