Contemporary Jewish Museum

Auerbach Glasow designed the architectural lighting for the Museum’s interior public areas, event spaces, galleries, education center, administrative offices and the inaugural exhibitions.

Incorporating the adaptive reuse of the landmark 1907  Willis Polk Jesse Street Power Substation, the lighting for the Koret-Taube Grand Lobby employs a multi-level strategy to address the dual functions of the space: an introduction to the Museum and event space. The PaRDes wall, an abstract representation of a Hebrew acronym, is outlined in light with linear fluorescent fixtures integrated into the wall design.

The Koshland Gallery also incorporates the old with the new architecture. Part of the gallery retains the ceiling trusses and skylights from the historic power substation while the other part features a new architectural footprint with sloping walls and a high ceiling. The system is comprised of lighting track suspended from the ceiling and recessed into the sloping soffit and architectural beams. On the historic side, the track is mounted to the underside of the original trusses.

The Roselyne and Richard Swig/Swig and Dinner Families Gallery is a rectilinear space with an exposed, unfinished ceiling. The lighting system is comprised of parallel lengths of lighting track which connect to a perimeter track configuration. Large windows across one end of the gallery are carefully filtered to control visible and ultra violet light.

The lighting for the distinct Stephen and Maribelle Leavitt “Yud” Gallery was designed to illuminate the soaring 60-foot ceiling and balance the light from its 36 skylights.

The Sala Webb Education Center’s common area encompasses a variety of lighting looks to suit the different uses of the space.

The architectural and theatrical lighting system for the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Hall had to accommodate the versatile requirements of the space and fit within the linear design of the ceiling.

Design Architect: Studio Daniel Libeskind
Architect of Record: WRNS Studio
Size: 63,000 SF
Completion: 2008