Cleveland Synagogue Renovated and Reborn as Case Western Reserve University's Milton and Tamar Maltz PAC

	Case Western Reserve University's Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center. Photo: Theatre Projects Consultants

On the edge of Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University, the historic Temple Tifereth-Israel has stood as an iconic fixture for the college, city, and local Jewish community for more than 90 years. Now, after a historically sensitive and wholly transformative adaptive reuse by Theatre Projects, MGA Partners Architects, Akustiks, and a team of talented consultants, the building has been shaped into a versatile, comfortable, and acoustically brilliant concert hall, dubbed the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center.

It was of some surprise when Case Western Reserve University and the temple announced in 2010 that the two organizations would partner to renovate this culturally significant and historic synagogue into a venue for orchestral, choral, and symphonic music.

Spurred by a donation from the Maltz Family Foundation of the Jewish Community of Cleveland, the adaptive reuse came with an important caveat: the sanctuary would have to maintain its historic aesthetic and its usability as a space for worship and would be made available for religious services on High Holy Days.

Working with MGA Partners, Theatre Projects helped guide the $25.6 million restoration and adaptive reuse of the 145,000-sq.-ft. facility, providing theatre planning and design as well as performance equipment design and specification.

In the Maltz Center's main performance space, which has been named Silver Hall, Theatre Projects designed a stage comprised of three parts -- two stage lifts and a set of manual platforms -- which, when all are raised, can hold approximately 100 musicians. For religious services, all three can be lowered to the floor and loose seating put in its place, seating a maximum of 1,350. Raising the component stage parts can create different seating arrangements, creating a more intimate environment.

To preserve the aesthetic and charm of the synagogue, but provide a more comfortable concert-going experience, 37 rows of orchestra-level pews were uprooted, refurbished, and then their traditional bench seating was replaced with cushioned, fold-down theatre seats. With the back and sides of the pews intact, the finished product is an elegant melding of a modern concert hall and a historic place of worship that will please concertgoers and congregants alike.

"First and foremost, we came to this project with a love for beautiful, historic architecture," John Tissot, Theatre Projects' project manager, said. "That appreciation and our sympathy for what it was, what it is, and what it could be, led us in our approach as we married all those things together."

With a distinct Byzantine style, the 1924 synagogue's limestone and travertine marble exterior, gold-tinted dome, and stained glass windows, have made the seven-sided sanctuary a distinct regional feature and earned the building a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

"It's a beautiful building and a beautiful room; the finishes, details, and the stonework are gorgeous," Steve Rust, Theatre Projects' theatre lighting designer, said. "It was very dark before and those details were hidden, but now it's all come to life."

Navigating the sanctuary's adaptive reuse with subtlety, reverence, and nuance, led to many inconspicuous-yet-impactful touches. Just under the dome, panels of stained glass windows adorn seven sides of the outer walls. To preserve the antique glasswork, Theatre Projects created a system where the stained glass panels can fold out on hinges, revealing LED lighting rigs, which swing into place over Silver Hall, illuminating the stage with individually-controllable LED lights.

In lieu of traditional incandescent fixtures, the arts center opted for an all-LED performance and architectural lighting system. The LED lights not only require less energy to run, and fewer circuits to power, but also produce less heat, keeping performers more comfortable and allowing Case Western to reduce air conditioning costs.

Keeping in mind the facility's continued use as a place for quiet, solemn reflection and acoustic music performance, all performance lighting equipment had to be specified with low-noise or silent standards.

"The retrofitting of the lighting in the Maltz Center is spectacular," Rust said. "DMX-controlled fans in the LED profiles were essential to the success of the lighting system. Theatre Projects worked closely with Akustiks, ETC, and Vincent Lighting to program the fixtures for minimal noise production."

The most eye-catching feature of Silver Hall is a large acoustic canopy which hangs over the stage area. Comprised of steel space frame and glass, the wing-shaped framework spans more than 80' and floats above the stage, suspended 35' above the floor by wire rope. The stunning visual addition provides effective sound distribution to the audience and between orchestra members and serves as a platform for concert lighting with only a minimal impact on the architecture.

The challenge of providing performance lighting or other performance equipment without traditional rigging -- which may have tarnished the architecture or finishes -- was just one hurdle to overcome in crafting a seamless blend of concert hall and synagogue.

"Working with MGA, The Lighting Practice, and Vincent Lighting, was great collaboration," Rust said. "In the end, our team did an excellent job adapting the space so it can serve both functions -- concert hall and temple -- very well."

In addition to the adaption of Silver Hall, the Maltz Center also features an intimate 94-seat recital hall with platform, acoustic curtain, and no fixed seating. Beyond the two performance spaces, there are now lighting and sound control rooms, additional bathrooms, and back-of-house areas include a green room, rehearsal room, and instrument storage.

The reimagining of the Temple Tifereth-Israel and transformation of Silver Hall is only the first phase in an expansive performing arts center, which is planned to completely transform the building, adding a grand glass edifice, and including a multipurpose theatre, studio theatre, dance rehearsal rooms, and classrooms. Once completed, the facility will be the new home to Case Western's theatre, music, and dance programs.

The Cleveland Orchestra took the stage at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Center for the venue's inaugural concert on September 27. Their performance, Violins of Hope, was a multimedia event featuring violins played during and recovered from the holocaust. The performance, which will air on PBS, explores the power of music to comfort, offer hope, and to connect and sustain humanity.