beth sholom synagogue

The Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most important late works of the great  American architect Frank Lloyd  Wright.  It is the only synagogue ever completed by Wright. Beth Sholom’s exceptional design was the result of a unique collaboration between the master architect and the congregation’s religious leader, Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen. Since its completion, shortly after Wright’s death in 1959, the building has been faithfully utilized by the Beth Sholom congregation and appreciated for its irreplaceable value as one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s final and most exceptional designs.

Project Information

In the fall of 2008, Harboe  Architects was selected to lead a team of preservation professionals, including Robert Silman Associates Structural Engineers,  to conduct a condition assessment report for the Beth Sholom Synagogue funded by the Getty Conservation Institute. Harboe Architects’ role as preservation architect entailed numerous responsibilities for the completion of the report including collecting information and preparing sections of the report on the significance and integrity of the building, the current conditions of the building, analysis of accessibility in the building, recommendations for future restoration work based on the existing conditions, and cost estimates for future work. Harboe Architects was also responsible for the graphic layout and assembly of the final report.