Angel Orensanz Center facts for kids
.jpg)
The Angel Orensanz Center, housed within a former synagogue
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | 172-176 Norfolk Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York 10002 |
| Type | Art gallery and performance space |
| Founder | Angel Orensanz |
| Owner | Angel Orensanz Foundation |
| Architect | Alexander Saeltzer |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival |
| Designated | June 14, 1983 |
| Reference no. | 1440 |
The Angel Orensanz Center is a special place for art and performances in New York City. You can find it on Norfolk Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This building was first built as a synagogue, which is a Jewish house of worship.
It was built way back in 1849. This makes it the oldest synagogue building still standing in New York City. It's also the fourth-oldest synagogue building in the entire United States. When it was first built, it was the biggest synagogue in the country! It's also one of the few built in the unique Gothic Revival style.
For many years, from 1849 to 1974, the building was used as a synagogue by different Jewish groups. After a while, it was left empty and fell into disrepair. In 1986, a Spanish artist named Angel Orensanz bought the building. He worked hard to fix it up and turn it into an art gallery and a place for performances. That's how it became the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts. The city of New York recognized its importance and made it a historic landmark in 1987. Today, a Jewish group called The Shul of New York also uses the building sometimes for their services.
Contents
What Does the Angel Orensanz Center Look Like?
This building has a very special design. The inside of the main hall looks a bit like the famous Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. The main worship area was designed to look like the Sistine Chapel, which is known for its beautiful paintings.
The building is about 70 feet wide and 90 feet deep. Its main space is very large, about 7,000 square feet. The ceilings are very high, about 50 feet, and are a beautiful cathedral blue color. The building has tall, pointed windows called lancet windows. It also has fancy doorways with detailed carvings. The big front door has a triangular shape above it, almost as tall as the second floor. This design includes a Magen David, which is a Star of David symbol.
Inside, you'll find wooden arches and several balconies. One of these balconies is where Angel Orensanz has his art studio. The front of the building, called the facade, is made of red brick covered with a smooth finish. It has a pointed roof section called a gable. Originally, the building had three stories and special pyramid-shaped roofs. Today, it has two stories and strong, square towers on each side of the center. These towers were unusual for buildings at that time. They even had special stairwells inside to reach the upper balconies. The original ceiling was a deep blue color with gold stars, like a night sky.
The History of This Special Building
Early Days as a Synagogue
The synagogue was built by a group called Ansche Chesed, which means "People of Kindness." This was the third Jewish group to form in New York City. They bought the land for the synagogue in April 1849 for $10,500. This land used to be part of Peter Stuyvesant's large estate.
The building was designed by an architect named Alexander Saeltzer. He started working on the design in February 1849. Saeltzer also designed other important buildings in New York City, like the original Astor Library. The synagogue's Gothic Revival style was inspired by famous churches in Germany, like the Cologne Cathedral. Even though Gothic architecture is often linked to churches, it became popular for synagogues too. Jewish groups sometimes used old church buildings, so they got used to the style. They saw it as a beautiful and fitting design for their own places of worship. The building opened in 1849 and was known as the Anshe Chesed Synagogue.
After Ansche Chesed moved out in 1874, other Jewish groups from Eastern Europe used the synagogue. They changed the inside to fit their traditions better and removed the organ. Some of these groups included Congregation Shaari Rachmim and The First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek. The last group, Sheveth Achim Anshe Slonim, used it until 1974. By then, many people from that community had moved away, and the building was left empty and damaged.
Recent History and Famous Events
In 1986, Angel Orensanz, a Jewish Spanish artist, bought the building. He and his brother, Al, worked hard to bring it back to life. They fixed it up and turned it into the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts. This is where it became a place for art shows and performances. In 1987, New York City officially named it a historic landmark.
Today, The Shul of New York, a modern Jewish group, holds some of its services there. They started in 1997 and still have their important Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the building. The Shul's services often include music from their special "Shul Band." This building is still the oldest standing synagogue in New York City.
The Angel Orensanz Center has been the setting for many cool events!
- In 1997, famous actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick got married there.
- Many well-known artists have performed there, including poet Maya Angelou, composer Philip Glass, and singers Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
- In 2003, singer Avril Lavigne filmed her music video for "Losing Grip" inside the center.
- The band Taking Back Sunday recorded their live acoustic album there in 2010.
- In 2011, Florence + The Machine recorded their "MTV Unplugged" show at the center.
- The building was even used for filming an episode of the TV series Jessica Jones in 2015.
- The interior of the synagogue was also used for the cover art of the famous Wu-Tang Clan album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993.
In 2014, the building had to close for almost a year because there were worries that a balcony might collapse. Luckily, it was fixed and reopened.
See Also
In Spanish: Centro Ángel Orensanz para niños
