While renovating Kehilath Jeshurun Synagogue and the Ramaz Lower School, FXCollaborative transformed the lower level gymnasium into a Chapel, creating a modern composition of space and objects that re-imagines the traditional synagogue at an intimate scale for quiet meditation, connection, and prayer.
The chapel is inspired by ancient texts that describe the Holy Ark as a simple, acacia wood box in the Wilderness of Sinai. The deep blue ceiling's pyramidal form creates an asymmetrical soffit that can be read as both "roof" and "celestial sky," and features a luminous opening from which a Ner Tamid light is suspended above the acacia wood Ark. Vertical maple strip panels on the walls reinforce the metaphor of the forested wilderness, while the Jerusalem Stone wall fragment behind the Ark is a symbol of the Wailing Wall and a reminder of the project's below-grade location. Within the adjacent library, warm finishes and millwork complement the chapel's exquisite craftsmanship.
