Synagogue
A Feasibility Study and preliminary design was undertaken for the Synagogue
of Malden Bridge. I wanted to give the new building a sense of permanence
by tucking it into the hill but at the same time maintain the floating
quality inherent in pier construction. In the design that developed, the
synagogue bridges across a light-well cut into the hillside. Large doors
open to a covered outdoor space and increase the capacity during the summer
months. On the opposite wall an elliptical window is filled with a pattern
of stained glass. A meeting room and activities center occupies a portion
of the space below; a glazed hybrid of light construction and braced panels
that relies on the building above for its roof and lateral strength. The
meeting room stands beside a lattice of steel columns that support the
building above which seems to float between the massive support piers.
