Architects Design New Synagogue Addition with Corrugated Metal Facade

Preston Scott Cohen and BNIM have completed an expansion for Congregation Beth Shalom's synagogue, featuring a sanctuary that seats 500 people. The project, located in a prairie setting, replaces a temporary social hall used for two decades. Its exterior is clad in Galvalum corrugated metal panels, selected for durability, reflectivity, and cost-effectiveness, with a design that avoids continuous horizontal lines to prevent a grid-like appearance. The facade's form includes two tilted cylindrical elements, evoking Torah scrolls and referencing local agricultural structures like grain silos. Architects employed a Grasshopper script to tailor the building's shape, including mechanical systems, based on seating requirements. Key design challenges included window placement to obscure lower-level views and avoid direct sunlight without using curtains, as well as tight construction tolerances due to the lack of a rainscreen substructure. Project team members emphasized the facade's role in unifying interior and exterior functions, with the cylinders housing a stair and a light source for the sanctuary. The collaboration involved contractor A.L. Huber Construction and various engineering firms. The addition aims to create a cohesive sacred space that integrates with its surroundings.