Institutional

Anshe Sholom Center, Kew Gardens, NY

The Anshe Sholom Center was created by a group of worshippers, many of whom were survivors of the Nazi concentration camps. The center was designed to create a feeling of openness, uniting the sanctuary with the community it serves. A east-facing skylight along the center of the ceiling creates dramatic plays of light and opens the building to the sky. The ark sits on a stone base that slides out through a glass opening in the façade. The sanctuary is set on a raised platform, which serves as a gathering place for the congregation. The entrances form welcoming curves. The curve of the roof is formed by straight pieces of terne, a type of tinplate. Twelve stained glass windows, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, adorn the sanctuary and allow even more light to flood into this place of worship.