CVM provided structural engineering for the design and construction of Drexel University’s new Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life. The Center opened in late October of 2016, and is the home of Jewish activity at the school as well as the headquarters of Drexel’s Hillel. Local and national media outlets have already praised the Perelman Center for its religiously-inspired design elements and purposeful, organized interior.
Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects, Inc. of San Francisco designed the three-story, 14,000 SF flat-plate, post-tensioned concrete structure, which stands contemplatively between two Victorian homes on Drexel’s campus in the University City section of Philadelphia. The building’s front facade features an irregular, geometric array of brick and glass verticals supported by a single concrete transfer beam, creating the visual impression of a menorah.
The interior is austere but warm: With a structural support system comprised of only four columns, users can navigate spaces unencumbered and aided by abundant light. The first two floors offer lounges, meeting rooms and offices, and are connected by a central monumental stair, the railings of which extend from the first to the second floor, creating a balcony for an open event space. Designed to stop just above the stair tread to avoid undue pressure from loads on the second floor, the railings—like the facade—are reminiscent of a piece of Judaica, with a pattern recalling a prayer shawl. The central void of the stair creates the framework for the third floor, where worship spaces for each of Judaism’s three main movements have been placed around a central, glass-enclosed courtyard. Opening to nothing but sky, the courtyard’s view is unique in the city, and was described by the architect as “free of the works of man.”
Philadelphia Inquirer critic Inga Saffron praised the building, calling it “Drexel’s most powerful new building in years.” The Architect’s Newspaper also published a feature on it, as did WIRED, which named it one of “25 Masterpieces That Prove 2016 Was an Incredible Year for Architecture”.
(photo above from philly.com)