Congregation Rinat Yisrael
Teaneck, New Jersey
Studio 5 Partnership designed a major expansion for Congregation Rinat Yisrael.
A Program was developed to align with the congregation’s goals to provide a larger sanctuary and accommodate young families that were moving into the community. In response to the growing need, a new 500 seat sanctuary was constructed along with a large social hall to serve the congregation following services.
To meet the needs of a growing community of young families, new facilities were constructed for children and youth programs. The building now includes a new youth wing with meeting rooms, classrooms and multi-use flex spaces to accommodate these groups. To maintain a continuity of the congregation during construction, the original sanctuary and service spaces were maintained until the new addition was completed. The congregation then moved into the new building to allow the renovation of the old building for newly programmed spaces.
Similar to the original synagogue building, the new addition was designed with materials and scale to blend with the residential neighbors. This included shingle mansard roof embellishments which do not diminish the height of the sanctuary and carefully hidden/sound attenuated mechanical equipment. To keep the bulk of the building in scale, part of the social hall was constructed beneath the synagogue parking lot.
The building was designed to afford generous natural lighting by skylight and stacks of windows. Special semi-transparent window glass in the main sanctuary filters light and reduces heat gain. Worshipers now have an intimate feeling inside the space and a visual communication with nature.
To meet the needs of a growing community of young families, new facilities were constructed for children and youth programs. The building now includes a new youth wing with meeting rooms, classrooms and multi-use flex spaces to accommodate these groups. To maintain a continuity of the congregation during construction, the original sanctuary and service spaces were maintained until the new addition was completed. The congregation then moved into the new building to allow the renovation of the old building for newly programmed spaces.
Similar to the original synagogue building, the new addition was designed with materials and scale to blend with the residential neighbors. This included shingle mansard roof embellishments which do not diminish the height of the sanctuary and carefully hidden/sound attenuated mechanical equipment. To keep the bulk of the building in scale, part of the social hall was constructed beneath the synagogue parking lot.
The building was designed to afford generous natural lighting by skylight and stacks of windows. Special semi-transparent window glass in the main sanctuary filters light and reduces heat gain. Worshipers now have an intimate feeling inside the space and a visual communication with nature.