Leicester Mercury

£2.1m work to refurbish Victorian synagogue is complete

GLAZED FOYER ADDED IN TASTEFUL BLEND OF NEW AND OLD IN THE CITY

- By ASHA PATEL asha.patel@reachplc.com @ashac_patel

A MAJOR refurbishm­ent of a Victorian, grade II-listed synagogue in the city has been completed.

The £2.1 million project has seen an expansive, glazed foyer added to Leicester Hebrew Congregati­on, to link the existing synagogue and teaching building together, with improved ancillary accommodat­ion at the rear.

The project was delivered under a Heritage Lottery Funded scheme for a local initiative called Sharing Jewish Heritage in Leicester.

The synagogue has been used by the Jewish community for worship and other educationa­l purposes since 1897.

Now, its historic school rooms have been transforme­d into a visitor and educationa­l centre for the public.

“Areas previously unavailabl­e to the public will also be opened up as part of the project to celebrate the city’s Jewish heritage.

The redevelope­d synagogue, in Highfields Street, off London Road, in Highfields, is a blend of new and old with careful considerat­ion for the needs of the local Jewish community, said a spokesman for the architects, Stephen George and Partners (SGP) LLP.

Kanti Chhapi, studio director at SGP, said: “We worked very closely with the Leicester Hebrew Congregati­on to understand and deliver what the community needed and wanted for their much-loved synagogue. The design is sensitive to old structure, with the new connection being respectful to the original fabric, but distinct and honest, clearly visible but with the original building remaining the focus.”

The new foyer has a new facade of a glass curtain wall within brickwork pillars.

A new roof light called a sukkah is designed to open up fully to accommodat­e a gathering of people standing underneath it during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot.

Mechanical and electrical systems in the synagogue have been programmed with timer switches to avoid manual use of electricit­y on the Sabbath, known as the day of rest, and during other festivals.

Rainwater harvesting was another important aspect of the design, said the spokesman, as the Mikvah, the Jewish ritual bath, had to have a natural water feed.

The building also now has a lift that operates without a person needing to touch it, to comply with aspects of the Jewish faith.

With two roads on either side of the building, as well as garages at the rear, the designers were faced with multiple challenges, including planning access for cranes and other equipment, said the spokesman. They were able to negotiate with neighbours to allow access by demolishin­g and rebuilding some adjacent garages.

“It’s a listed building, so that brought up its own challenges,” added Mr Chhapi.

“In the exhibition space, our original, non-invasive survey suggested that the roof was in good condition, but stripping back walls - and seeing the water running down from the floor above during a heavy rain - revealed the gutter between the synagogue and adjacent building required immediate attention.

“But it was very special to work on such a sensitive, detailed design, and one that was so close to our client, the Leicester Hebrew Congregati­on and the local Jewish community.”

Chairman of Leicester Hebrew Congregati­on Anthony Jacobs said: “This extension, along with the refurbishm­ent of the existing structure, provides for both the needs of our community and the many visitors we receive each year as part of our ‘Sharing Jewish Heritage’ project.

“We are grateful for the generous grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund that allowed us to develop this project in collaborat­ion with SGP.”

 ?? HOLLISPHOT­OGRAPHY.UK ?? IMPROVEMEN­TS: The synagogue in Highfields
HOLLISPHOT­OGRAPHY.UK IMPROVEMEN­TS: The synagogue in Highfields

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