Directly next to the southern bank of the Saar in Saarbrücken's old town, in a row of large, important buildings such as as the Saarbrücken Castle, the State Parliament building, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Landgericht, is the office of the Saarbrücken Amtsgericht. Due to the building size and its waterfront exposure, the building plays an important role in the city's image. Most importantly, due to its priviledged location on the axis of Bleichstrasse in the city center of St. Johann and its proximity to the riverfront, the building is very conspicuous, esecially from across the Saar.

The space of the building's north side is carved by the adjacent Franz Josef Röder Strasse, Autobahn and Saar bank. The backside of the building is oriented towards the incline of Old Saarbrücken, defined by the adjacent nature and fragmentary development. The building functions as the middleman between these contrasting regions of the city to the north and south and the new facade should reconcile and reflect this paradoxical character.

The aim of the north facade redesign was to reflect and abstract the dynamic forces of the river and the nearby traffic. To counteract the massiveness and monotony of the existing building and create a design which responds directly to its surroundings, the facade is broken up through dynamic elements.