The 65,000-sf, 14-story Moise Safra Center has opened in New York City’s Upper East Side. The PBDW Architects-designed building will act as a second home for the Jewish community it serves and unite a broad range of programming inclusive of both community center and religious functions.
At the center’s base is a double-height synagogue that is expressed on the exterior by multiple two-story, stone-clad fins that provide a sense of privacy while also bringing in eastern light. A smaller sanctuary space is located on floor above. Other religious spaces include a library/study and offices for the rabbinical staff.
Other building features include a wellness center and pool, a gymnasium that overlooks the cityscape, classrooms for teens, kitchen and hospitality areas, and flexible spaces that are adaptable for varying program needs. A banquet room takes advantage of the ninth floor setback by including a pre-funciton area with an outdoor terrace. A fully retractable glass wall allows events to seamlessly flow from inside to outside.
The project was completed in 2020.
Related Stories
| Apr 17, 2013
First look: Renzo Piano's glass-domed motion pictures museum
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week released preliminary plans for its $300 million Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum in Los Angeles, designed by Renzo Piano and local architect Zoltan Pali.
| Apr 16, 2013
5 projects that profited from insulated metal panels
From an orchid-shaped visitor center to California’s largest public works project, each of these projects benefited from IMP technology.
| Apr 12, 2013
Nation's first 'food forest' planned in Seattle
Seattle's Beacon Food Forest project is transforming a seven-acre lot in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood into a self-sustaining, edible public park.
| Apr 12, 2013
Chicago rail conversion puts local twist on High Line strategy
Plans are moving forward to convert an unused, century-old Chicago rail artery to a 2.7 mile, 13 acre recreational facility and transit corridor.
| Apr 11, 2013
George W. Bush Presidential Center achieves LEED Platinum certification
The George W. Bush Presidential Center announced today it has earned Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The Bush Center is the first presidential library to achieve LEED Platinum certification under New Construction.
| Apr 11, 2013
American Folk Art Museum, opened in 2001, to be demolished
Just 12 years old, the museum designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will be taken down to make way for MoMA expansion.
| Apr 5, 2013
Snøhetta design creates groundbreaking high-tech library for NCSU
The new Hunt Library at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, incorporates advanced building features, including a five-story robotic bookBot automatic retrieval system that holds 2 million volumes in reduced space.
| Apr 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
