Quondam | A Virtual Museum of Architecture |
Hurva Synagogue - L'Eglise St. Pierre Comparison |
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| Hurva Synagogue's elevation, both with and without the prayer cells, is compared to the four elevations of L'Eglise St. Pierre. |
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The sanctuaries of Hurva Synagogue and L'Eglise St. Pierre are both square and of almost the same plan size, yet the two buildings overall vary greatly in height and shape. These two religious buildings, however, share a commonality in the uniqueness of their form, in which both structures seem to be striving toward the attainment of a physical and metaphysical "higher plane." |
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| Even though L'Eglise St. Pierre clearly fits within Hurva Synagogue's sanctuary space, the respective architectural attitudes regarding ritualized space are nonetheless widely divergent -- Kahn's strict geometric order contrasts strongly with Le Corbusier's use of geometric freedom. |
comparative plans: Hurva-St. Pierre
| At 140 feet, the height of L'Eglise St. Pierre more than doubles the height of the Hurva Synagogue, which reaches almost 60 feet. It should be noted, however, that the sanctuary of St. Pierre is raised two stories over the church's ancillary spaces, whereas the synagogue is raised only a few feet above the surrounding ground level. |
comparative elevations: Hurva-St. Pierre
| Their difference in height notwithstanding, the two sanctuary interiors each incorporate natural light through an uncommon molding of space, and it is the respective combinations of unique form and light that allows each sanctuary to evoke the infinite. |
comparative sections: Hurva-St. Pierre
Quondam © 2005.03.25 |