Midrash Share Beraja

The opportunity to design this temple, located in the State of Mexico, was a new and very pleasant experience for the entire team. Designing a religious space requires a deep understanding of many religious issues, in this case the Jewish one, for which we rely on several experts to be sure that we consider all aspects such as: orientations, type of materials, customs, history and a long etc Our goal was to design a very pleasant space that is ideal for prayers and that also becomes a great place for learning and meeting for the community.
The temple is located in conjunction with a residential building and shares completely independent accesses to the building. Towards the street façade, it is a sober and discreet building, with a façade modulated in glass and black granite, with a rhythm that allows the entry of natural light towards vertical circulation.
On the ground floor is the area for men, there are double study tables and the entire space is very flexible, avoiding fixed elements to achieve any configuration that is needed. There is a generous double-height space that connects with the second level, where women carry out their activities, and with a large dome located in the central part of the building that allows natural light to enter and frames the entire view and sense towards the Haron Hakodesh, where the Torah is kept, the most important space in the temple's design.
On the upper floor there is a balcony area for women and an open area to take classes when it is necessary to increase the capacity to receive a greater number of attendees. There is also the office of the Rabbi of the temple, as well as a cellar and a kitchen that serves breakfast. Both levels have bathroom services and a coffee area.
The bookcases that were made with a special design received particular attention in this project, a detailed record was made by dimensions to achieve adequate spaces to receive them, in addition to considerations for their management and conservation.
The result is a very elegant space, covered with very warm materials, which in addition to considering the intensity of the traffic, transmit the necessary serenity and peace in the room. The selection includes natural stone, a gray travertine marble, porcelain floors, and oak wood. Lighting plays a very important role, it is a combination of natural and artificial light through the design of boxes with indirect light.

Project name: Midrash Share Beraja
Category: Institutional
Location: State of Mexico, Mexico
Start: October 2020
Conclusion: April 2021
Area: 486 m2
Photography: Jaime Navarro

Project design: ARCO Contemporary Architecture
Arch. Bernardo Lew
Arch. José Lew
Arch. José Memun
Collaborators: Oscar Sarabia, Azucena Santillán, Rebeca Villa, Adalid Mendoza, Miguel Ocampo, Federico Teista, Cynthia Luna, Beatriz Canuto