CONTACT
Kristen Mathias, Marketing Director, Theatre Projects Consultants
T +1 203 307-2948 kmathias@theatreprojects.com
James Casciato, Marketing Coordinator, Theatre Projects Consultants
T + 1 203 307 2957 jcasciato@theatreprojects.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2015
Cleveland synagogue renovated and reborn as Case Western Reserve
University’s Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center
NORWALK, CT
On the edge of Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, the historic Temple Tifereth-Israel has
stood as an iconic fixture for the college, city, and local Jewish community for more than 90 years.
Now, after a historically sensitive and wholly transformative adaptive reuse by Theatre Projects, MGA
Partners Architects, Akustiks and a team of talented consultants, the building has been shaped into a
versatile, comfortable, and acoustically brilliant concert hall, dubbed the Milton and Tamar Maltz
Performing Arts Center.
It was of some surprise when Case Western Reserve University and the temple announced in 2010 that
the two organizations would partner to renovate this culturally significant and historic synagogue into
a venue for orchestral, choral, and symphonic music.
Spurred by a donation from the Maltz Family Foundation of the Jewish Community of Cleveland, the
adaptive reuse came with an important caveat: the sanctuary would have to maintain its historic
aesthetic and its usability as a space for worship and would be made available for religious services on
High Holy Days.
Working with MGA Partners, Theatre Projects helped guide the $25.6 million restoration and adaptive
reuse of the 145,000-square-foot facility, providing theatre planning and design as well as performance
equipment design and specification.
In the Maltz Center’s main performance space, which has been named Silver Hall, Theatre Projects
designed a stage comprised of three parts—two stage lifts and a set of manual platforms—which, when
all are raised, can hold approximately 100 musicians. For religious services, all three can be lowered to
the floor and loose seating put in its place, seating a maximum of 1,350. Raising the component stage
parts can create different seating arrangements, creating a more intimate environment.
To preserve the aesthetic and charm of the synagogue, but provide a more comfortable concert-going
experience, 37 rows of orchestra-level pews were uprooted, refurbished, and then their traditional
bench seating was replaced with cushioned, fold-down theatre seats. With the back and sides of the
pews intact, the finished product is an elegant melding of a modern concert hall and a historic place of
worship that will please concertgoers and congregants alike.
“First and foremost, we came to this project with a love for beautiful, historic architecture,” John Tissot,
Theatre Projects’ project manager, said. “That appreciation and our sympathy for what it was, what it
is, and what it could be, led us in our approach as we married all those things together.”
With a distinct Byzantine style, the 1924 synagogue’s limestone and travertine marble exterior, goldtinted dome, and stained glass windows, have made the seven sided sanctuary an distinct regional
feature and earned the building a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
“It’s a beautiful building and a beautiful room; the finishes, details, and the stonework are gorgeous,”
Steve Rust, Theatre Projects’ theatre lighting designer, said. “It was very dark before and those details
were hidden, but now it’s all come to life.”
Navigating the sanctuary’s adaptive reuse with subtlety, reverence, and nuance, led to many
inconspicuous-yet-impactful touches. Just under the dome, panels of stained glass windows adorn
seven sides of the outer walls. To preserve the antique glasswork, Theatre Projects created a system
where the stained glass panels can fold out on hinges, revealing LED lighting rigs, which swing into
place over Silver Hall, illuminating the stage with individually-controllable LED lights.
In lieu of traditional incandescent fixtures, the arts center opted for an all-LED performance and
architectural lighting system. The LED lights not only require less energy to run, and fewer circuits to
power, but also produce less heat, keeping performers more comfortable and allowing Case Western to
reduce air conditioning costs.
Keeping in mind the facility’s continued use as a place for quiet, solemn reflection and acoustic music
performance, all performance lighting equipment had to be specified with low-noise or silent
standards.
“The retrofitting of the lighting in the Maltz Center is spectacular,” Rust said. “DMX-controlled fans in
the LED profiles were essential to the success of the lighting system. Theatre Projects worked closely
with Akustiks, ETC, and Vincent Lighting to program the fixtures for minimal noise production.”
The most eye-catching feature of Silver Hall is a large acoustic canopy which hangs over the stage area.
Comprised of steel space frame and glass, the wing-shaped framework spans more than 80-feet and
floats above the stage, suspended 35 feet above the floor by wire rope. The stunning visual addition
provides effective sound distribution to the audience and between orchestra members and serves as a
platform for concert lighting with only a minimal impact on the architecture.
The challenge of providing performance lighting or other performance equipment without traditional
rigging—which may have tarnished the architecture or finishes—was just one hurdle to overcome in
crafting a seamless blend of concert hall and synagogue.
“Working with MGA, The Lighting Practice, and Vincent Lighting, was great collaboration,” Rust said.
“In the end, our team did an excellent job adapting the space so it can serve both functions—concert
hall and temple—very well.”
In addition to the adaption of Silver Hall, the Maltz Center also features an intimate 94-seat recital hall
with platform, acoustic curtain, and no fixed seating. Beyond the two performance spaces, there are
now lighting and sound control rooms, additional bathrooms, and back-of-house areas include a green
room, rehearsal room, and instrument storage.
The reimagining of the Temple Tifereth-Israel and transformation of Silver Hall is only the first phase
in an expansive performing arts center, which is planned to completely transform the building, adding
a grand glass edifice, and including a multipurpose theatre, studio theatre, dance rehearsal rooms, and
classrooms. Once completed, the facility will be the new home to Case Western’s theatre, music, and
dance programs.
The Cleveland Orchestra will take the stage at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Center for the venue’s
inaugural concert on September 27. Their performance, Violins of Hope, is a multimedia event featuring
violins played during and recovered from the holocaust. The performance, which will air on PBS,
explores the power of music to comfort, offer hope, and to connect and sustain humanity.
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Notes for Editors:
Theatre Projects is an international team of theatre designers and planners creating extraordinary
performance spaces around the world. For over 55 years Theatre Projects has provided creative design
solutions and technical innovation and expertise to more than 1,200 projects in over 70 countries. Theatre
Projects provides strategic planning, theatre planning and design, and theatre equipment design and
specification. The Theatre Projects team is based in Connecticut, London, Paris, and Shanghai. For more
information please visit theatreprojects.com.
The press release is available for download in the Theatre Projects Media Room.
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