Today we celebrate the recipient of our 2020 Renaissance Award, Park Avenue Synagogue. Last year the Synagogue completed a campus-wide renovation, with a program for the East 87th Street Synagogue House in tandem with the newly acquired building on East 89th Street.
The renovation, developed by Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects, provides a cohesive plan for the congregation's various needs. The 1980s post-modern structure at the corner of East 87th Street and Madison Avenue creates welcoming community spaces for the vibrant and growing congregation, while contributing to the historic character of Madison Avenue.
The Eli M. Black Lifelong Learning Center is a landmarked Neo-Renaissance townhouse built in 1912. The renovation of both structures have a cohesive design that both complement each historic structure and serves to connect them. Both buildings are adorned with historic stained glass windows created by Adolf Gottlieb for Park Avenue Synagogue in the 1950s. According to MBB "the installation creates a visual connection [between the buildings] and honors the synagogue's rich history."
You can read more about the renovation design of Park Avenue Synagogue House here, and of the Eli M. Black Lifelong Learning Center here. And if you'd like a little more history on Park Avenue Synagogue and other religious institutions on the Upper East Side, we are joining our friends at MAS and Urban Archive to share a virtual Jane's Walk story, exploring historic photos of the Upper East Side's rich ecclesiastical ensemble. Click here to see FRIENDS' contribution to this year's Jane's Walk NYC (from Home) weekend.