Religious Architecture: Renovation
Siegman Associates, Inc.
Atlanta, GA
Ahavath Achim Synagogue cherishes its long history of deep ties to the Jewish community of Atlanta. The current facility is a mid-20th-century landmark, erected in 1957. The cavernous sanctuary, almost unchanged since it was first built, had become dated and no longer served the smaller membership or the way ritual services have evolved over the decades.
The design strategy is to craft a new, inclusive, and more centrally oriented space within the existing sanctuary—a room within a room. A new, slatted-timber ceiling carries the vocabulary of the iconic and beloved ark wall overhead to create a warmer, more sheltering envelope. The ceiling was also outfitted with new acoustical treatments, mechanicals, LED lighting, and A/V systems. The lofty dome is opened to reveal its intricate steel structure and maximize available daylight. A new light sculpture ringing the oculus will further enhance the play of natural light.
We leveled the old, sloped floor and added a new, centrally oriented, and accessible bimah. The new reading table can be lowered or raised for differently abled users, rotated, or removed entirely for events such as musical performances and weddings. All clad in wood, these elements will complete the more enveloping, intimate sense of space. In its new form, the sanctuary allows the sense of kehillah (community) to be felt at the center of the service.
Jury Comments
This project takes an existing sacred space, examines its underlying strengths, and then accentuates these features to update and improve the overall experience. It sensitively makes a mid-century design feel whole. The drama of natural light in the oculus is well done.
Project Team Members
Elihu Siegman
Michael Silverman, NCARB
Jonathan Schneider
Project Consultants
Shear Structural / Structural Engineering
Covalent Consulting / MEP
Aarpeggio Acoustics/ Acoustical Engineering
