AWARD FOR RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE: RENOVATION |
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Kol Rinah Synagogue
Patterhn Ives, LLC || St. Louis, MO
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Sam Fentress |
Kol Rinah unites two established Jewish congregations on a single campus in St. Louis, transforming a former Baptist church to create a distinct identity for this newly formed synagogue. Located on the edge of a growing business district, the design honors the rich history of both congregations while projecting a sense of optimism, carefully integrating a new sanctuary and entry sequence with the existing mid-century structures. The architecture and landscape create a dynamic environment for a diverse and inclusive community, serving three primary functions: gathering, learning, and prayer.
The new sanctuary is intentionally quiet, grounded, and responsive to its urban context. Though austere and protective in form, the sanctuary remains warm and inviting. The new entry and lobby spaces are filled with natural light throughout the day and softly illuminated at night. This luminous threshold supports the social and spiritual engagement central to Jewish faith, reinforcing the synagogue’ s role as both a sacred and communal space. Inside, the heaviness of the stone
sanctuary is an unexpectedly light-filled, doubleheight space for worship and prayer. Material, light, and sound are carefully composed to create a tranquil space that inspires contemplation and spirituality.
JURY COMMENTS: This is a project about the possibilities and promise of finding common ground, both through the merger of two Jewish congregations as well as the integration of a preexisting church structure with a new addition. The easiest option for the renovation might have been to demolish the former Hanley Road Baptist Church, but instead the synagogue celebrated the church’ s legacy by incorporating it into a new social hall. The site planning and exterior of the addition also addresses the congregation’ s safety concerns without compromising the quality of light in the sanctuary interior.
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Darris Lee Harris Photography |
AWARD FOR RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE: RENOVATION
North Shore Congregation Israel: Frank Memorial Hall and Rebecca K. Crown Social Hall
Eckenhoff Saunders || Glencoe, IL
Designed by modernist Minoru Yamasaki in 1964, with a renowned postmodern addition by Hammond, Beeby and Babka, North Shore Congregation Israel is an architectural landmark situated on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Frank Memorial Hall and Rebecca K. Crown Social Hall, the synagogue’ s primary social gathering spaces, each tied to different architectural styles and to distinct moments in the synagogue’ s history, no longer reflected or supported the vitality of congregational life.
Drawing inspiration from the original sanctuary’ s botanical forms and gilded ark, Frank Hall was redesigned to extend the sanctuary’ s spiritual character into this previously neutral pre-function space. Crown Hall’ s design retains the dominant symmetrical geometry of the original but replaces original worn finishes with bright, durable, and acoustically sensitive ones. In lieu of a traditional ballroom ceiling, an expansive dropped plane with a twinkling starscape of lighting embraces views of the terrace, bluff, and lake.
The project reestablishes these spaces as vital venues rooted in the synagogue’ s history yet responsive to present needs, transforming both into dynamic, flexible, and inspiring environments that celebrate their architectural heritage while supporting future generations.
JURY COMMENTS: The renovation of the Frank Memorial Hall and Rebecca K. Crown Social Hall thoughtfully honors the architectural legacy of Minoru Yamasaki’ s modernist sanctuary, revitalizes the interior spaces to meet the congregation’ s needs for worship and celebration, and ensures that the synagogue on the edge of Lake Michigan endures as a cherished place of community.
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