Park Synagogue--page 1 (of two)

Eric Mendelsohn
addition by Michael A. Gallis
1947-53; 1967-68




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

 


Continue to page 2.


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© 2005 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

Page created by Mary Ann Sullivan