Located at the heart of LA, between the Frank Gehry-designed landmark Walt Disney Concert hall and Los Angeles County Museum of Art—known as LACMA, the Jewish Wilshire Boulevard Temple will be expanded by OMA. A new structure is planned to rise next to the oldest Jewish congregation in LA.
courtesy of OMA
Named the Audrey Irmas Pavillion, OMA’s new multi-purpose building will include new meeting spaces for the community of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. The expansion is named after the American philanthropist and art collector Audrey Irmas, who has donated generous amounts to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Interestingly, the Audrey Irmas Pavillion marks OMA’s first religious and cultural building in California. The Dutch firm’s design has been selected as a winner of an international competition earlier in 2015.
courtesy of OMA
Featuring a sloped facade, the building stands in stark contrast with the original Byzantine-revival temple neighboring it. The building includes 3 integrated gathering spaces; the main event space, a smaller multi-purpose room, and a sunken garden. A series of small openings allow indirect light to enter the pavilion.
courtesy of OMA
OMA’s partner Shohei Shigematsu, who is the current director of OMA’s New York Office, explained that the new Audrey Irmas Pavillion focused on gathering spaces. He said, “We wanted to focus on communicating the energy of gathering and exchange.” He emphasized that the firm designed the pavilion with a socially conscious approach that serves the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
He added, “The pavilion is an active gesture, shaped by respectful moves away from the surrounding historic buildings, reaching out onto Wilshire Boulevard Temple to create a new presence. within the building, a series of interconnected meeting spaces at multiple scales provide ultimate flexibility for assembly while maintaining visual connections that establish outdoor indoor porosity and moments of surprise encounters.”
