Until the late 1980s, criminal court hearings in Northampton were held in the Sessions House.

[1][2] However, as the number of court cases in Northampton grew, it became necessary to commission a more substantial courthouse for criminal matters.

[3] The building was designed by Kit Allsopp architects,[4] built in buff stone at a cost of £11.5 million,[5] and was completed in 1987.

[6] The design involved two gabled sections connected by a recessed glass atrium facing onto Lady's Lane.

[7] The design won the Summer Exhibition Award from the Royal Academy of Arts in 1986.