BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Durham, NC | Photography by Tzu Chen & Mike Cincala

One of the Carolinas earliest Jewish congregations wanted to renovate and expand, but only if they could keep the familiar feel of their mid-century modern synagogue. The expansion increased the building's enclosed area by one-third, re-oriented the enlarged sanctuary to face east, and added significant outdoor spaces such as a terrace overlooking the playground and a prayer garden. An elevator was tucked inside against the existing basement wall, and stairs were relocated and configured to provide both visual communication and physical accessibility between floors.  The renovation allows for more natural light throughout the building while maintaining the scale and materiality of the original design.