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 in New York City where art shows and performances happen. It is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This building is very old and was first built as a synagogue, which is a Jewish house of worship.
It was built in 1849, making it the oldest synagogue building still standing in New York City. It is also one of the oldest synagogue buildings in the entire United States. When it was first built, it was the largest synagogue in the country. It is also one of the few built in the Gothic Revival style, which looks like old European cathedrals.
The building was used as a synagogue from 1849 until 1974. After that, it was left empty and became damaged. The city of New York took over the building in 1981. Later, in 1986, a Spanish artist named Angel Orensanz bought it. He fixed it up and turned it into an art gallery and performance space. It is now called the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts. In 1987, the building was named a historic landmark by New York City. Today, a Jewish group called The Shul of New York also uses the building for some of its services.
Building Design
The inside of the Angel Orensanz Center looks a bit like the famous Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. The main worship area was designed to look like the Sistine Chapel.
The building is about 70 feet (21 meters) wide and 90 feet (27 meters) deep. The main space is very large, about 7,000 square feet (650 square meters). It has tall ceilings, about 50 feet (15 meters) high, painted a beautiful cathedral blue.
The building has tall, pointed windows called lancet windows. It also has special doorways with decorative columns. The largest door in the center has a triangular design above it. This design is almost as tall as the second floor. It includes a Magen David, which is a Star of David.
Inside, there are wooden arches and several balconies. One of these balconies is where Angel Orensanz has his art studio. The front of the building is made of red brick covered with a smooth finish called stucco. It has a pointed roof section in the middle. Originally, the building had three stories and pyramid-shaped roofs. Today, it has two stories and square towers on each side of the center. These towers were unusual for buildings of that time. They contain stairwells that lead up to the balconies. The original ceiling was a deep blue with gold stars.
The building was officially named a New York City Historic Landmark in 1987. This means it is protected because of its important history and design.
Building History
Early Years
The synagogue was built by a group called Ansche Chesed, which means "People of Kindness." This was one of the first Jewish groups in New York City. They bought the land for the synagogue in April 1849 for about $10,500. This was a lot of money back then. The land was once part of the estate of Peter Stuyvesant, an early leader of New York.
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. The synagogue's Gothic Revival style was inspired by famous churches in Germany. Even though Gothic architecture is often linked to churches, it became popular for synagogues too. Jewish groups sometimes used old church buildings and liked the style. The building opened in 1849 and was also known as the Norfolk Street Congregation.
After Ansche Chesed moved out in 1874, other Jewish groups used the synagogue. These groups changed the inside of the building to fit their traditions better. They also removed the organ. Some of these groups included Congregation Shaari Rachmim and The First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek. From 1921 to 1974, it was used by Sheveth Achim Anshe Slonim, who called it Anshe Slonim Synagogue. By 1974, many people from that community had moved away. The synagogue building was then left empty and became damaged.
Recent Times
In 1986, Angel Orensanz, a Jewish Spanish artist, bought the property. He worked with his brother, Al, to fix it up. They turned it into an art gallery and performance space called the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts. As mentioned, the building was named a historic landmark by New York City in 1987.
The Shul of New York, a modern Jewish group, started using the synagogue in 1997. They hold some of their services there, including special services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rabbi Susan Falk has led The Shul of New York since 2021. Their services often include music from the Shul Band. This building is still the oldest standing synagogue in New York City.
Many famous events and people have been at the Angel Orensanz Center.
- In 1994, a music video for the song "Crush My Soul" by the band Godflesh was filmed there.
- In 1997, actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were married there.
- Singer Mandy Patinkin performed his show Mamaloshen there.
- Many other famous people have performed or visited, including Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel, poet Maya Angelou, writer Arthur Miller, actress Tyne Daly, composer Philip Glass, and singers Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
- In 2003, Avril Lavigne filmed her music video for "Losing Grip" at the center.
- The band Taking Back Sunday recorded their live acoustic album Live from Orensanz there in 2010.
- In 2011, Florence + The Machine recorded their MTV Unplugged album there.
- In 2015, an opera company performed Mozart's opera Don Giovanni at the center.
- The center was also used for filming an episode of the TV show Jessica Jones in 2015.
The photographer Daniel Hastings used the inside of the synagogue for the cover art of the Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
In 2014, the building had to close for almost a year because there were worries that a balcony might collapse. It reopened after repairs were made.
See also
In Spanish: Centro Ángel Orensanz para niños
