LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The state judiciary on Friday will dedicate the $42 million Lihu'e Judiciary Complex, the state's most technologically advanced courthouse.

The three-story structure will bring under one roof court functions now spread through a half-dozen office and court buildings islandwide.

The complex, whose formal Hawaiian name will be announced at Friday's dedication, covers a sprawling 112,000 square feet on Kapule Highway next to the county police and civil defense building. The buildings share coloring, retro architecture and identical green tile roofs.

Flanking the grand entrance are two tall tile murals that depict a Hawaiian waterfall, designed by artist Carol Bennett.

Security systems are impressive, with two redundant operating centers at which state sheriffs can open or lock doors throughout the complex. Interlocks ensure that when one door in a secure area is open, others cannot be opened, to minimize the chance of an escape. Alarms sound if doors are improperly opened or remain open too long. Judiciary officials in at-risk positions have alarm buttons that immediately notify security staff.

At the existing Lihu'e courthouse, chained prisoners walk the same halls with the public. In the new facility, they will walk in independent corridors and gain access to courtrooms through separate doors.

"What you won't see here is the processing of prisoners through public areas," said Ernest Barreira, deputy chief administrator for the 5th Judicial Circuit.

The building has two wings feeding from a central public area, both two stories above ground level. The south wing has an additional basement area that includes a cellblock and secure parking areas. There are five cells capable of holding as many as 54 people.

The facility has six courtrooms, five of them capable of handling jury trials. All are fully computerized.

There also are multiple conference rooms, meeting rooms for attorneys and clients and four comfortable jury deliberation rooms.

While expansive use of koa has been a hallmark of many modern government buildings, Barreira said most accent features are of other woods—primarily cherry.

"We didn't cut down a koa forest to build this place," he said.

The courtrooms, hallways, offices and outdoor areas are scanned by 170 cameras, all of which can be controlled from the operating centers.

Barreira said sound control was an important factor in the design, and although the courthouse is next to Lihu'e Airport, you can watch aircraft take off a few hundred yards away but you can't hear any but the noisiest jets.

Chief Justice Ronald Moon, 5th Circuit Court Judge George Masuoka and deputy courts administrator Walter Ozawa will address the dedication Friday. The new courthouse opens Aug. 22.