Synagogue, 4 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh

Synagogue at 4 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh

A 2-storey, cruciform-plan synagogue and community centre designed by James Miller between 1929 and 1932, built in simplified Byzantine style with geometric forms. The building is constructed of Whitwick red and purple handmade Sandstock brick. The synagogue interior was divided at gallery level in 1979 by Dick Peddie and McKay to create a community centre at ground level, with access to the upper synagogue via two staircases at the vestibule end.

The entrance block faces west and has a single bay on its north elevation with a central round-arched entrance, featuring a recessed stone doorway with carved Hebrew script to the lintel and a 2-leaf panelled door. Above is a single stained-glass round-arched window on the first floor. An inscribed foundation stone appears to the right. The west elevation displays 5 bays with outer bays advanced. A central round-arched entrance has a recessed stone doorway with carved Hebrew lettering to the lintel, a 2-leaf panelled door, and a 3-pane obscure glass fanlight. A stained-glass window is positioned above on the first floor, with stained-glass windows to both floors in the outer left and right bays. The advanced outer bays have single windows at ground level with recessed round-arched windows at first floor. The architect's name is inscribed on a foundation stone on the north elevation. The east elevation is a blank wall.

A linking block of 2 bays connects to the main structure, deeply recessed with single windows at ground level and single round-arched stained-glass windows to the first floor above.

The eastern block has a north elevation with 3 bays, each with single windows at ground and round-arched stained-glass windows above. The west elevation contains a single window at ground level. The east elevation features 5 bays with an advanced central block. Doorways access the building from north and south, while the central 3 bays are slightly advanced. The central bay accommodates the choir space, which is bowed to form a semi-circular apse with a half-dome above. A single window at ground level is surmounted by a large round-arched stained-glass window that breaks the eaves; flanking bays contain single windows. The south elevation comprises various projections of one and two storeys accommodating a smaller synagogue, classrooms, meeting rooms, kitchen, ritual bath (Mikveh), tabernacle (Sukkah), and offices.

A detached caretaker's house in the grounds to the rear is 2-storey with an attached single-storey block.

The synagogue interior features galleried seating to the north, south, and west. The choir room occupies the semi-circular apse at the east end, separated by a wrought-iron and blue stained-glass screen. The centrally positioned Ark (Aron Hakodesh) stands in front of this screen, constructed of French walnut with gilded decoration and Hebrew lettering. A raised platform (bimah) before the Ark contains the pulpit and a free-standing candelabra (menorah). Geometric-design painted iron railings with wooden handrails surround the platform. Simple raked seating occupies the nave, with a central almemar similarly railed. All woodwork fittings are Port-Orford cedar with oak seating. A flat roof features a saucer dome above the former crossing of transept and nave. The west end contains a vestibule with a corridor at the south leading to meeting, prayer, and class rooms.

The stained glass includes various symbolic designs throughout the main hall, predominantly in pale blue (the national colour of Israel). Four windows by William Wilson in the vestibule, executed in 1957, feature symbolic themes including the menorah and Star of David.

The boundary is marked by a low coped brick wall to the street with original railings. Two pairs of square-plan brick gatepiers with plain stone caps support cast-iron lamp stands, though the lamps are missing.