TriBeCa synagogue’s memorable building and stubborn architect

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By David Dunlap
The TriBeCa Synagogue's potbellied sanctuary was designed by the architect William N. Breger. Credit Robert Stolarik for The New York Times
NEW YORK---If the best sacred architecture intimates the presence of a higher power, the G-d of the TriBeCa Synagogue is a luminous and soft-spoken one. Few congregations are as closely identified with their buildings as the TriBeCa Synagogue has been with its marble-clad, potbellied sanctuary, designed in 1967 by the architect William N. Breger, who died Feb. 23 at 92. How could they miss it? Its facade curves like a grand piano soundboard, floating over a small plaza, named in Mr. Breger’s honor, at 49 White Street, west of Broadway. [link]

The synagogue's most welcome feature for an Orthodox Jewish congregation is its acoustical property. Sound travels easily without electrical amplification. Credit Robert Stolarik for The New York Times