A still from Temple Emanu-El’s video renderings of the expansion. (Scroll to the bottom to watch it in full)
The 57-year-old campus of Temple Emanu-El, at Hillcrest and Northwest Highway, is about to receive some significant additions through at $32 million capital campaign fund.
The project includes a new wing for the Early Childhood Education Center, along with more youth and adult spaces, a new administrative department, a 450-seat chapel and upgrades to the Olan Sanctuary.
The ceremonial groundbreaking is at 11:30 a.m. May 4. Mayor Mike Rawlings is scheduled to attend, along with past presidents of the congregation. They’ll use the same shovel that broke ground on the original building back in 1957.
With 2,500 member families, Temple Emanu-El is one of the largest Reform Jewish congregations in the country. And, it’s not secret that the building is a mid-century architectural marvel. We wrote about it way back in 2009 when we asked neighborhood architects to describe some of the most inspiring structures in Preston Hollow.
Bruce Bernbaum of Bernbaum Magadini Architects said of Temple Emanu-El, “The building today has qualities that worked 50 years ago, and they should work 50 years from now. It was designed from the street in, and so the garden spaces are basically outdoor rooms, and interior spaces work seamlessly from outdoors to indoors.”
The building was designed by Howard Meyer and Max Sandfield, and the Olan Sanctuary was featured in Life Magazine. Local architect Gary Cunningham is overseeing the expansion project.
“We are thrilled to be breaking ground for a project that will bring new energy to our core mission: to help people develop a sense of sacred presence and possibility in their lives,” said Senior Rabbi David Stern, in a press release. “Through spaces that foster a sense of human community, we will seek to cultivate a sense of sacred responsibility.”
This is all part of the Our Temple | Our Future capital campaign which began seven years ago. Check out the video below to learn more and see virtual renderings of what’s to come:
http://youtu.be/sNaofJO5cbs
