Founded in 1989, the Congregação Judaica do Brasil (CJB) is formed of nearly 500 families of Ashkenazi heritage and is located in the neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. For the renovation of the synagogue, the client wanted a space that not only translated the prosperity of the community, but also created a connection with the local context. The design of the new synagogue draws inspiration from contemporary aspects of Jewish identity and migration, without losing sight of the Temple, symbol of homeland and permanence, and the tabernacle, symbol of the wanderings of the Jewish people.

A monolithic concrete volume houses the entire program. Located on the lower level are a café, festival hall, kitchen, offices, library and archive, classrooms and mikveh. On the upper level, the great hall of the synagogue, which holds up to 400 people, is accessible through a staircase in the front external hall, an elevator and an internal staircase that interacts with the eternal flame memorial. The lectern is centrally located, creating a non-hierarchical space in which rituals take on more participatory character. The sacred space is indirectly illuminated from above through a suspended rooftop garden, which serves not only the CJB community, but also as an exchange with the public.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil