Beth Sholom Synagogue

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The only synagogue ever designed by famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, Beth Sholom is Hebrew for House of Peace. Its steeply inclined walls of translucent wire glass and plastic are meant to represent both a mountain and a tent.

The main sanctuary is large enough to hold about 1020 people. The seats are placed in a circular manner around the protruding pulpit, so that the people on one side of the synagogue can see the people on the other side.

The building was completed and consecrated in 1959.

As with many Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, the roof of the synagogue leaks. Therefore, many of the seats in the synagogue normally hold buckets to catch the water on rainy days.

During the day, the interior is lit by natural light entering through the translucent walls overhead. At night, the entire building glows from interior artificial lighting.