Cleveland Heights' Park Synagogue, An Underappreciated Modernist Masterpiece

Hard to describe the magical, peaceful creative energy I felt when I discovered this modernist gem walking around Cleveland Heights. This is true, organic architecture, tucked into the landscape and community- sadly my images don't do it justice, I was not able to tour inside or spend adequate time. Technically, I may have been trespassing- I apologize.

The complex combines a temple, school, library, gallery and community center unified into a simple, yet complex whole. Nothing seems pretentious or overly tricky.

The original Congregation had been on Cleveland's East Side but followed the growth of the suburbs eastward to Cleveland Heights.

  From The Cleveland Historical Society 

"Rabbi Cohen was already familiar with the work of Eric Mendelsohn, an architect working in New York and then San Francisco. Together with his family, the architect had escaped Nazi Germany, moving to England and Palestine. Mendelsohn had had an illustrious career in Europe. Among his most admired creations were the De la Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, England; Expressionist-style department stores in several German cities; and the Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany.....

Shortly after Park’s dedication in 1950, one critic referred to the synagogue as “the outstanding example of modern Hebrew architecture in America . . . the forerunner of a modern, functional synagogue design.” A curator of the Jewish Museum in New York wrote: “I regard Park Synagogue as the most significant structure of its kind in our generation.” The Cleveland Heights facility is now referred to as Park Main, as the congregation built and maintains a second facility in Pepper Pike."

The location is not easy to find- and Google Maps seems to redirect one to the second location in Pepper Pike, Ohio.

Hopefully, this is right.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Park+Synagogue/@41.5140308,-81.5665016,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0xd87382acfa6cd127 

8/28- 9/4 Weekly Arts & Urbanism Roundup

Pittsburgh
What a trip: Living it up in Pittsburgh, hidden-arts-and-culture jewel (Washington Post)

Hop to it on microbrew tour (Toronto Star)

Allure showcase represents 34 Pittsburgh area artists (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

110 Artists gather for Fair in the Park (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Let's Talk About Art: Review of Blaine Siegel's Pittsburgh Biennial Show (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Pittsburgh area fall family activity guide (Pittsburgh Mommy Blog)

Murals give youngsters a chance to shine, memorialize Pittsburgh playwright (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Cleveland

Cleveland police shooting may have been "suicide by police". (Cleveland.com)

Black, white and stuck all over: Identity politics are keeping Cleveland a two race town in a multi-race world.  (Belt Magazine)

Cleveland House of Blues to host benefit for documentary film about famed rock writer Jane Scott. (Cleveland Scene)

Cleveland joins meatless Mondays trend. (Cleveland Scene)

Mansfield, Ohio

Thousands of movie fans expected to celebrate 20th anniversary of The Shawshank Redemption

Akron

Goodyear says it won't build new $500 million factory in Ohio.

Other "Rust Belt News"

Repurposing old train stations in the rust belt. (Belt Magazine)

Ferguson, race and the inner ring suburb. (Belt Magazine)

Other Architecture, Urbanism and Arts News

The art of Burning Man (but is it art?) (Hyperallergic)

The Subsidy Show: Colbert, Fallon and the crony capitalism of the creative class.

The Highway to Serfdom

Chinese authorities shut down Beijing Independent Film Festival. (Hyperallergic)

Designing mobile homes for the new wanderers (Hyperallergic)

The war on Airbnb

Building bigger roads actually makes traffic worse (Wired)

Second American journalist beheaded by ISIS (UK Daily Mail)

Bahrain tortures award winning photojournalist (Hyperallergic)

Visit to Cincinnati, The Under-appreciated River Gem

We Just Got back from a 5 day trip to Cincinnati. Several posts on the way.

I know I promised several posts after my trip to Atlanta, and I still might get them up- over a year late. Cincinnati, obviously seems closer and more relevant to this blog.

Incredible, Rare Images of Fallingwater Frozen Solid

From The Tribune Review:

"The falls began icing over as soon as the temperature dropped on Sunday night, a phenomenon Waggoner said had only happened two or three times in her 30 years of work with Fallingwater.

As temperatures are expected to reach a balmy 50 degrees this weekend, the waterfall that captivated Wright will likely thaw.

“The ledge that creates the waterfall is a cantilever,” Waggoner said. “He saw that ledge and then created a series of cantilevers that reconnect the house to the site, so that was clearly the inspiration for the house.”"

Staff are watching the structure carefully for cracks or any signs of damage.

Artist Couple Makes Wild & Wonderful, West Virginia Window House

For people willing to put the effort in to live a creative life fully, West Virginia can be a great place. From This Is Colossal

"For their very first date, photographer Nick Olson took designer Lilah Horwitz on a walk in the mountains of West Virginia. While chatting and getting to know each other during a particularly scenic sunset the two jokingly wondered what it would be like to live in a house where the entire facade was windows, so the sunset would never be contained within a small space."

A year later, they had quit their jobs and started a road trip, scrounging windows & doors at garage sales and salvage stores along the way.

Half Cut Tea . com | Nick Olson & Lilah Horwitz from Matt Glass on Vimeo.

Not sure where this place is.

Create A Local City Guide For Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Canton, Pittsburgh: Deadline Tomorrow

Crap, I didn't know about this, till now when Bill Peduto tweeted about it.

Most of the time our cities are defined by the official powers that be, tourist offices, major advertisers and the like. Here's a chance to tell the world about the places and things you think make your city great.

Good Magazine is sponsoring a contest.

the OBJECTIVE

Create a guide for your city highlighting the best your community has to offer.

the REQUIREMENTS

Your guide has to fit on a standard page. Upload your submission here. We’ll accept submissions through Sunday, July 3. Afterwards we will post a collection of our favorite submissions and ask you, the GOOD community, to vote. The winning entry will be announced on GOOD.is, featured on our homepage, and printed in the next issue of GOOD. We’ll also send a GOOD T-shirt and a free subscription (or gift subscription) to the winner.

Aside from that, get as creative as possible using photos, drawings and anything else you can.

From Pittsburgh City Councilman, Bill Peduto's blog

"You, as a savvy Burgher, know the best that our city has to offer. Not just the places in the tourist guides, but those off the beaten path. The places that you’d want an out-of-town friend to see — the inside scoop from a local. Here’s your chance to show off your knowledge and tell the world what makes Pittsburgh special. GOOD.is is sponsoring a contest to create a “local’s guide” that showcases the very best of Pittsburgh. What makes your must see list? The ToonSeum? The Waffle Shop? Gertrude Stein’s birthplace and nearby Millionaires’ Row? Or how about your favorite neighborhood bar?"