The Temple Beth El synagogue, designed by Minoru Yamasaki and completed in 1973, is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It is home to the oldest Jewish congregation in the state of Michigan, and now serves over 1,500 families. The temple is the third building constructed for Congregation Beth El. The two previous synagogues were designed by renowned Detroit architect and Beth El congregant Albert Kahn. The congregation commissioned Yamasaki to design their new synagogue when they outgrew their previous facility, which had been built in 1922.
Inspired by the meeting tents of the twelve tribes of Israel, Yamasaki designed a “tent-like” structure that rises above the other low-lying buildings to encourage participation and gathering. The two hundred panels, created by steel cables dissecting the concrete walls, symbolize the number of times per day Jews are to give thanks to God. The building houses a distinct sanctuary, school, library, chapel, and social hall.
The modernist sculptural form is supported by two massive columns held together by beams at the top of the structure. Using compression and tension, steel catenary cables are attached to the beam and hold up the concrete panels that form the structure and shape of the roof. A massive skylight in the sanctuary distributes light onto the congregation. Glass curtain walls provide views of the landscape and give the roof a feeling of weightlessness and the seeming ability to float.
