Congregation Beth Israel

Congregation Beth Israel, located in Charlottesville, VA needed to add new educational and worship facilities to their existing 19th century building—the tenth oldest synagogue in the country. The congregation made two significant decisions: to remain in the center of the city, and to build an addition twice the size of their existing 7,000 sf structure.

The design, led by brwarchitects founding Principal, Bruce Wardell, FAIA, IFRAA, respects the existing structures and urban context by creating a ‘village’ of smaller structures. A modern steel and glass lattice bridges between the new and existing construction, allowing the social hall to have a dramatic view of the surrounding urban landscape—a reminder of the community in which the congregants live and worship.