Park Synagogue--page 1 (of two)

Mendelsohn, a German Jew who settled in the United States in the 1940s, is generally classified as an "Expressionist" architect. This synagogue is one of four that he designed in the United States. (See also B'nai Amoona Synagogue (now Center of Contemporary Arts in St. Louis.) The large site includes areas with varied functions--auditoriums, schools, art exhibit areas, among others. The site has a large ravine at the rear, although the synagogue proper is on the highest point. See below where the hill slopes downward from the entrance.
The front and entrance The most dramatic feature of this complex is the very large dome--more than a hundred feet in diameter. The outer cladding is copper, which has oxidized over time, while the inner layer is reinforced concrete.
		Oblique views of the front
Views of the dome The Ten Commandment tablets are represented on the top.
Views of the entrance--and the downward slope
Wing to the right of the entrance with curvilinear walls, oculi, and open loggias

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