London's Jewish community is fairly large, and long established, but until the opening of JW3 in late 2013 it lacked a high-profile venue for the enjoyment and celebration of Jewish culture. The nascent institution—whose name is a play on its postal code (NW3)—is housed in an elegant, welcoming pavilion that has quickly become a popular destination for Jews and non-Jews alike, surpassing projections by attracting 245,000 visitors to 4,000 events in its first year.
JW3's principal promoter, philanthropist Vivien Duffield, was inspired by the American Jewish Community Center (JCC) movement. She acquired a half-acre corner site on a busy street in northwest London and sought the opinion of several architects on the character of the spaces and mix of uses the institution might have. The successful candidate, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, advised against the emphasis on sports often found in JCCs, which would have high ongoing costs and niche appeal. “We didn't want to make a sweaty box for boys,” says project director Alex Lifschutz. Instead, JW3 appeals to the whole community, with a cinema, restaurant, child-care center, and 268-seat auditorium, as well as multipurpose rooms that support a wide variety of social, educational, and recreational activities. The building is “a machine for making culture” as well as a place to consume it, says Lifschutz.
The architects make efficient use of the space while communicating JW3's open, relaxed ethos. Facilities are grouped in a four-story pavilion pushed to the back of the plot. A bridge from the sidewalk to the main entrance spans a sunken piazza that accommodates weddings and an ice rink. In the summer, it hosts outdoor screenings, with movies projected onto the facade of an adjacent apartment building whose development partly financed the $20 million project.
In piecing together this complex jigsaw, the architect also overcame challenging environmental conditions. Though 30 million cars stream past the site every year, pulling the building back from the street meant that it could be naturally ventilated anyway. The piazza doubles as a discreet security cordon, which allows the transparent facade its open expression.
Lifschutz champions “long-life, loose-fit” buildings whose construction enables adaptation to different uses over time. At JW3, an exposed concrete frame and simple gypsum and glass partitions anticipate reconfiguration to meet changing demands. The robust materials reflect the architect's conception of the Center as an active, informal space. “They will probably knock the hell out of it,” Lifschutz predicted at the time of the opening, “and that's a good thing.”
Externally, perforated bronze cladding and decorative brickwork elevate the building above the merely utilitarian, and careful detailing of the perimeter fence and landscaping enhance its context—“greening the desert of the Finchley Road,” as Lifschutz puts it. But JW3's aesthetic qualities represent just one part of the architect's contributions. Equally important to the project's success was the client's willingness to back its architect's judgment even where some risk was entailed—for example, accepting his advice that they could save on the cost of providing a parking facility by relying on visitors to use public transportation. That faith has been amply rewarded in a popular building whose form and content are in perfect accord.
Back to Good Design Is Good Business 2015
PeopleFormal name of building: Location: Completion Date: Gross square footage: Total construction cost: Client: Owner: Architect: Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit: Engineers: Mechanical Engineer: Consultant(s): Lighting: Acoustical: Other: Quantity Surveyor Theatre Consultant General contractor: Photographer(s): Nina Sologubenko |
ProductsStructural system Exterior cladding Manufacturer ' Steenfabriek Engels Helden Metal Panels: Fabricator ' Colorminium Group Metal/glass curtain wall: Fabricator ' Colorminium Group Rainscreen: Fabricator ' Colorminium Group Precast concrete: Wood: Moisture barrier: Curtain wall: Roofing Windows Glazing Doors Wood doors: Sliding doors: Fabricator ' The Studio People Hardware Interior finishes Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Solid surfacing: Key Joinery Engineered timber flooring: Furnishings Lighting Lucent Lighting Designed Architectural Lighting Wila Lighting Ltd Iguzzini Conveyance Add any additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project: Piazza street furniture i.e. bollards, cycle racks Zest Restaurant + Bar ' Cantilever Bars |
