BEVIS MARKS SYNAGOGUE

The practice won an invited competition, run by the RIBA, to design a new Sukkah as a modern extension to the country's oldest synagogue – a fine building of the early 17th century. The extension is constructed on a restricted site, sandwiched between the Synagogue and surrounding office buildings.

The building's primary use is at the feast of Sukkot and, as a consequence of this, features an openable roof. It also provides access to a basement hall and improves accessibility by resolving level differences between parts of the existing building. For the remainder of the year, the Sukkah is used as a high-class restaurant – this was not a use which originally formed part of the brief but our design was flexible enough to accommodate this without difficulty.