Spanish And Portuguese Synagogue

The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, built in 1896, was designed by Davis and Emanuel. It is constructed of red brick with Portland stone banding to the lower stage and stone dressings, topped with a slate roof and a central copper-roofed dome. The building is centrally planned, with a front entrance hall. It’s designed in a Byzantine style.

The front facade is characterised by three bays, dominated by square piers with ogee-capped octagonal turrets. These flank a semi-circular arch over a rose window, and two semi-circular arched doorways. The upper stages of the outer bays have square piers linked by a continuous moulded stone cornice above five-light, square-headed windows, with moulded stone capitals to the piers; recessed foiled panels are present to the parapet. The side elevations feature similar outer bays and turrets, flanking a gabled central bay with three graduated semi-circular arched windows above square-headed ground floor windows. A small rose window is located at the rear, and the central dome has round-arched windows to the drum, surmounted by a cupola with a ball finial.

The interior has a segmental-vaulted entrance hall, with wreathed handrails and a decorative wrought-iron balustrade to open-well staircases in the outer bays. The synagogue interior features a dome set on semi-circular arches and scagliola columns. There are richly-carved Byzantine/Romanesque cushion capitals to the decorative balcony fronts and upper stages. A semi-circular arched recess contains a fine inlaid wood ark in a ‘Moorish’ style, featuring gilt domes and panelled doors framed by three semi-circular decorative arches set on grouped square piers with similar cushion capitals and foliate spandrels, incorporating Stars of David to the tall central arch. A central bimah is present, with a panelled and balustraded enclosure surmounted by wrought-iron candelabra. The building contains good stained glass.