To meet the growing needs of one of the largest Jewish congregations in North America, MBB crafted a comprehensive plan for the Park Avenue Synagogue that transformed it into an educational and community hub. The plan enlarged the physical campus, providing flexible facilities for a range of activities for some 1,700 families. It meets the client’s goals of promoting community, supporting its members’ spiritual development, and highlighting the synagogue’s culture, art collections, and rich history.

MBB seamlessly combined the three adjacent buildings that comprised the synagogue’s original complex for the first time. MBB also transferred most of the synagogue’s educational programs to the new Eli M. Black Lifelong Learning Center in a newly acquired building several blocks away, reorganizing and expanding the synagogue’s facilities and programs.

The revitalized campus communicates the synagogue’s forward-looking approach to worship and education while also reflecting its traditional values. MBB renovated the synagogue’s existing six-story building, carving out a formal, double-height entry to the historic sanctuary as well as informal gathering areas. The design also added a new minyan chapel for daily prayer in an intimate setting. With multilayered wood and metal cladding inspired by the ark of the historic sanctuary, the chapel acts as a stunning new sculptural object in the lobby.