The oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, broke ground on its anticipated $75 million OMA-designed expansion over the weekend.

Named after the project's lead donor, the new Audrey Irmas Pavilion will rise right next to the Temple's historic sanctuary and will house spaces for multi-use cultural and religious purposes.

The expansion effort is led by OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas as Partner-in-collaboration. Gruen Associates is the executive architect, Studio-MLA oversees the landscape architecture, and Arup is the engineering partner on the project.

“Focusing on communicating the energy of gathering and exchange, the pavilion is an active gesture, shaped by respectful moves away from the surrounding historic buildings, reaching out onto Wilshire Boulevard to create a new presence," said Shohei Shigematsu. "We are thrilled to break ground on this significant project that will provide a new anchor for the Wilshire Boulevard Temple and the broader Los Angeles community."

"We are very happy to break ground on this addition to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a dramatic tribute to the Temple’s vitality and relevance in Los Angeles," remarked Rem Koolhaas on the groundbreaking. "When so many things seem to be pulling us further apart from each other, the Temple is an institution that brings the city closer together in peace. I congratulate my partner Shohei for his leadership of this project, which we hope will become a home for reflection, love and community."

Construction of the building is expected to conclude in late 2020.