The Synagogue, Somerton Road, Belfast, County Antrim

The Synagogue, Somerton Road, Belfast

This is the most architecturally significant post-war synagogue in Britain and Ireland, and one of the most remarkable in the world. Completed in 1964 to designs by Eugene Rosenberg of the practice Yorke Rosenberg Mardall (YRM), it is an extremely rare example of the circular form in synagogue design, and the only synagogue of its kind in Northern Ireland. Leading expert Sharman Kadish has described it as the most influential post-war synagogue in these islands. It is also one of only two surviving places of worship built by Northern Ireland's Jewish community, and the only one still in use for that purpose.

Historical Background

This was the third synagogue to be built in Belfast. It replaced a building in Annesley Street, which had itself superseded the city's original synagogue of 1871 in Great Victoria Street. The new building was constructed within the former grounds of a suburban villa called Northleigh, built in 1887–88 by linen merchant Alexander Matier. YRM were commissioned to design the building sometime before March 1961, and the final drawings appear to have been completed by May 1962. The building was consecrated on 25 October 1964 by Chief Rabbi Dr Israel Brodie, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill.

The architect, Eugene Rosenberg (1907–92), was one of the leading exponents of Modernism in post-war Britain. Czech by birth, he worked with Le Corbusier from 1929 before establishing his own practice in 1934. Settling in Britain in 1939, he formed YRM with F.R.S. Yorke and Cyril S. Mardall. The firm went on to design some of the most innovative buildings of the post-war era, including Gatwick Airport, the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Manchester Magistrates Court, and Altnagelvin Hospital in 1957. For the Belfast Synagogue, Rosenberg may have drawn inspiration from several American precedents, including Louis Kahn's unexecuted plans for Adath Jeshurun in Philadelphia (1954) and Frank Lloyd Wright's Beth Sholom synagogue, also in Philadelphia (1954–57). The resulting design — centred on a circular prayer hall capped by a folded roof in the form of the Star of David — was groundbreaking and went on to influence synagogue design throughout the United Kingdom.

Exterior

The building is a single-storey, minimalist Modern Style structure built in concrete brick. It consists of two distinct elements: a double-height circular drum 27 metres in diameter, and a lower, contrasting flat-roofed rectilinear section.

The drum is the dominant and most architecturally significant element. Its concrete brick facade rises unbroken into a parapet that conceals the roof from street level. At regular intervals — corresponding to the points of the star formed by the roof above — the facade is punctuated by recessed, full-height double-light strip windows with aluminium frames. Each window incorporates a projecting concrete mullion that also serves as a structural member. Three of these windows double as secondary doorways and fire escapes, each accessed by short flights of steps. On the western side of the drum, at the point where it meets the lower section, there is a large high-level window with canted ends. Set at high ground-floor level to the north-west and south-west are two small rectangular windows, both later insertions. To the south of the drum there is a small projecting boiler house, which also appears to be a later addition.

The roof of the drum — visible only from above — is the building's most celebrated feature. It has a folded structure that forms the Magen David (Star of David) and also incorporates a clerestory to bring natural light into the prayer hall below. The roof covering could not be determined during inspection.

The lower rectilinear section sits to the east of the drum. In its original form it was T-shaped in plan, with the main entrance on its south side close to its intersection with the drum. Much of this section was originally glazed, giving the interior a greater degree of airiness than it retains today. At some point, possibly in the mid to late 1970s, a large extension was added to the south side and the main entrance was relocated to the north, so that this section is now roughly U-shaped in plan.

The present entrance is reached by a short flight of tiled steps with tubular handrails, rising to a tiled platform with a disabled access ramp to the western side. This leads into a relatively large, utilitarian flat-roofed porch projection. The most notable feature of the porch is a panel with raised Hebrew characters on the fascia directly above the north-facing doorway; this panel was salvaged from the original entrance. To the right (west) of the porch on the lower section there is a large recessed window, with a further facade projection to the right of that. The western face of this section is blank. On the south face there are two relatively large windows and a doorway to the left. The flat roof of this section has thirteen roof lights and vents of various sizes at its western end.

Alterations and Development

YRM's original masterplan for the site included the retention of Northleigh, the Victorian villa to the south of the synagogue, which was adapted for use as a Hebrew school, with a car park to its immediate west. Ordnance Survey evidence indicates this structure was demolished at some point before 1983 and replaced with a larger building. The site appears to have remained in this form until after 1987, when — presumably due to the financial pressures on a dwindling congregation — the southern half of the plot, including the school building, was sold off and redeveloped. It was evidently as a result of this that the synagogue itself underwent significant alteration: the extension was added to the south side, the entrance was moved to the north, and the internal layout was reorganised to accommodate large function and meeting rooms. Within the now considerably reduced grounds, a new car park was laid out and a new gateway opened to the north of the building. These alterations are regarded as detracting from the building's architectural integrity.

Setting

The synagogue occupies a relatively small plot in a leafy suburban setting at the junction of Somerton Road and Fortwilliam Park. The site is bounded by trees to the north, east, and west, with a fence marking the southern boundary. There are two vehicle gateways with plain metal gates on the western side, opening onto Somerton Road; the southern gate, which was the original main access, is no longer in use. Immediately to the north of the synagogue is a small car park; immediately to the south is a paved area. The grounds were originally considerably larger, but approximately half the plot was sold off in around the 1970s and a care home now occupies much of that space.