Walter Gropius - Temple Oheb Shalom - Baltimore, Maryland
Posted by: 
flyingmoose
N 39° 22.186 W 076° 42.623
18S E 352664 N 4359206
Located along Park Heights Avenue in the Pikesville region of Baltimore.
Waymark Code: WM13AK3
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 10/26/2020
Views: 11
About the Building:
Temple Oheb Shalom is a Modern suburban synagogue complex, located in an important cluster of postwar synagogues in northwest Baltimore. Constructed between 1958 and 1960, it was designed by world-renowned architect Walter Gropius, along with TAC:(The Architects Collaborative) and Sheldon Leavitt as Associate Architect. The building is significant as the work of a master architect. Temple Oheb Shalom is a multi-functional building consisting of an unornamented purism of elemental forms and proportions. The interior of the building retains many of Gropius original design concepts. Temple Oheb Shalom also contains several significant works of art, including a pair of glass mosaic murals on opposite sides of the entrance lobby by Gyorgy Kepes. The Ark, menorahs, and eternal light were designed by Kepes and Robert Preusser.
The complex is sigficant both for the quality of its architectural design and its. inclusion in a collection of important suburban Jewish properties in northwest Baltimore. Its particular form derives from the suburbanization of the Jewish populationin Baltimore, as it is a distinguished example of the evolution of the synagogue as a muiti-functional complex that preserves-Jewish ethnic religious identity and offers a full communal life. The complex is a multi-functional building that includes spaces for worship, social activites, administration administration facilities, and a school. Temple Oheb Shalom featured an innovative plan that placed the sanctuary.and social hall on the same axis so that on high holidays, when more congregants needed to be accommodated for services, large folding doors separating the two spaces could beopened up to seat over 2000 people. A state of the art public address system piped the service to all present. To meet the growing needs of the congregation, a chapel, and new lobby were later added (in the mid 1980s) and the sanctuary was renovated (2001), permanently separating sanctuary from social hall.
Temple Oheb Shalom is significant in four major ways. First, it is significant under Criterion C as the work of a master architect, Walter Gropius, along with TAC (The Architects Collaborative) and Sheldon Leavitt as Associate Architect. Temple Oheb Shalom is also significant under Criterion C, second, for the quality of its architectural design and, third, for its several important works of art in the Sanctuary, original vestibule, and Auditorium, including a pair of glass mosaic murals on opposite sides of the vestibule by Gyorgy Kepes. Temple Oheb Shalom is also significant under Criterion A as an important monument in a cluster of suburban Jewish properties in northwest Baltimore that constitute a key component of Maryland and Jewish social history. The suburban complex symbolizes the establishment of a large and thriving Jewish community in Baltimore and its sequential movement to the suburbs in the twentieth century. Thus, Temple Oheb Shalom is a distinguished example of the evolution of the
synagogue as a multi-functional complex that preserves Jewish ethnic religious identity and offers a full communal life. Temple Oheb Shalom's architectural distinction and historical significance make this resource worthy of designation even though it is just short of 50 years old.
Source: https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/BaltimoreCity/B-73.pdf
Architect: Walter Gropius
Building Type: Other
Date Built: 1960
City building is located in: Baltimore
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