Temple Israel Undergoes Contemporary Addition and Renovation
Temple Israel is an urban congregation dedicated to serving a diverse community. It was the first synagogue established in Minneapolis and is now one of the ten largest congregations in the U.S. The synagogue recently received a contemporary addition to complement and update the 88-year old temple. Updates included a spacious new lobby, which serves as the centerpiece of the temple’s new addition, as well as a new preschool, new Hebrew school classrooms, and a courtyard.
The lobby space spans nearly 7,000 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows, dramatic direct and indirect lighting installed in a wood-slat cloud providing focus on the ornate fabric adorning the ceiling above. The lobby offers a flexible spectrum of lighting scenes to tailor to specific requirements for different events that will be hosted in the space.
Required infrastructure was installed to bring 21st century technology and audio-visual aids to the classrooms to meet the evolving needs of the students and staff. Energy-efficient lighting systems and controls were integrated to enable flexibility and compatibility with learning and technology tools. A high-tech security system was installed to meet the security requirements needed to keep students safe and secure. The preschool space utilizes creative, hanging lightbulbs rather than typical fluorescent lighting and has a hallway lined with tot-sized coat lockers and viewing windows for parents to observe learning and play.
Temple Israel’s renovation and addition utilizes the advanced infrastructure and systems required to provide a productive, efficient, creative, and safe learning environment for students and staff.
Project Details
- Project | Temple Israel
- Location | Minneapolis, MN
- Size | 35,000 SF
- General Contractor | Mortenson
- Architect | Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA)
- Completion | September 2016