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Exterior of Lehigh University’s Chandler Ullmann Hall renovation by MGA Partners, showing students walking, and a historic stone façade under spring trees.

Chandler Ullmann Hall

Lehigh University

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Exterior evening view of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia renovated by MGA Partners, showing lively concertgoers.

Mann Center For The Performing Arts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Interior of Indiana University’s Theater and Drama Center by MGA Partners, featuring tiered seating and performance stage.

Theater & Drama Center

Indiana University

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Related Projects

Area

45,000 sf

In the Media

Temple Repurposing as Arts Center a Win-Win, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Violins that Brought Glimmers of Hope to Musicians During Holocaust to be Played Today, Cleveland Plain Dealer
CWRU Ready to Launch a $64M Makeover, Cleveland Plain Dealer
AIA Ohio Design Symposium, Building Tour 2022

Temple–Tifereth Israel building illuminated at night, now home to the Maltz Performing Arts Center

Faith & Form Adaptive Reuse Award
AIA National

Honor Award
US Institute for Theater Technology

Honor Awards for Design Excellence
AIA Pennsylvania & AIA Philadelphia

Preservation Achievement Award
AIA Cleveland & Cleveland Restoration Society

Philament Award for Lighting Design Excellence
IES Philadelphia

Renovated interior spaces featuring decorative lighting and an intimate recital room for small performances and lectures.
Renovated interior spaces featuring decorative lighting and an intimate recital room for small performances and lectures.
Renovated interior spaces featuring decorative lighting and an intimate recital room for small performances and lectures.

The new insertions, primarily the glass and steel canopy, complement this character with thin structural ribs and the transparency of the glass. This carefully detailed fabrication provides continuous views through to the original vaulted dome, while perfecting acoustics for performance. These new elements complement and resonate with the historic character.

Restored sanctuary of the Maltz Performing Arts Center with orchestra and audience.
View of the glass canopy, designed to enhance acoustics within the historic sanctuary.
View of the Acoustic Canopy
Architectural Section of Case Western Reserve University

The original Sanctuary underwent a complete transformation to both uncover the beauty of the original Guastavino tiles and stained glass windows, as well as to create a pit for the adjustable stage and seating.

Scaffolding inside the sanctuary during restoration.
Ceiling detail and restored marble corridor highlighting the historic woodwork and architectural ornament.

A consistent language of craft is found in the synagogue, celebrating the tradition of building and of those who built it almost a century ago.

Interior view of the Maltz Performing Arts Center
Restored sanctuary of the Maltz Performing Arts Center with orchestra and audience.

Maltz Performing Arts Center
Case Western Reserve University

Located in Wade Oval, among Cleveland’s most respected cultural institutions, a nationally registered historic synagogue, the Temple-Tifereth Israel, is repurposed as a new multi-disciplinary performing arts center for Case Western Reserve University. The 1,100-seat venue is the largest gathering space on campus and is used for a variety of ensembles, festivals and lectures.

Through ingenuity, collaboration, and respect for the historic 92-year-old building, the design team successfully resurrected a beloved but often unused facility into a nexus of culture, education, and student life. The project required a significant preservation component to uncover the beauty of many historic details, including the stained glass clerestory, the Guastavino tiled vaulted dome, marble corridors, and wood pews, as well as the limestone facade.

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