Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse
Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in downtown Eugene, Oregon, overlooking the Willamette River. It serves the District of Oregon and the Ninth Circuit and is named after former U.S. Senator Wayne Morse, a longtime local resident.
What it is
- Location: 405 East 8th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon
- Size: six stories tall (five above ground, one below) and about 266,742 square feet
- Use: six courtrooms plus offices for federal agencies (including the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office) and offices for Oregon’s U.S. Senators and a U.S. Representative
- Opening: completed and opened in 2006
Design and construction
- Architects: Thom Mayne of Morphosis (design architect) with DLR Group (architect of record)
- Construction: J.E. Dunn Construction
- Construction timeline: design competition in 1999; site work began in 2004; topped out in 2005; opened in December 2006
- Cost: about $96 million total
Architecture and features
- Style: deconstructivist modern design
- Structure: three curved pavilions rise from a glass-filled base; a dramatic 85-foot-tall atrium links the courts to the rest of the building
- Exterior: stainless steel ribbons, large grand entrance about 240 feet wide, and extensive security features
- Interior: pear-shaped courtrooms with cherry wood panels and natural light; some spaces use videoconferencing
Sustainability and awards
- LEED Gold: first new U.S. courthouse to earn LEED Gold certification
- Green features: abundant natural light, radiant floor heating and cooling, energy-efficient HVAC, drought-tolerant landscaping, low-flow fixtures, recycling of construction waste (about 90%), and use of sustainable materials
- Recognitions: Progressive Architecture Award (2004), AIA/COTE award (2007), American Architecture Awards (2007); the building was featured at the Venice Biennale
Notable points
- The project aimed to balance security with an open, welcoming feel
- Artwork by Matthew Ritchie includes exterior courtyard sculpture and interior lightbox pieces
- The courthouse marked a significant revitalization effort for its riverfront site in Eugene
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:57 (CET).