Kripke Tower Renovation and Addition

The entrance tower at the Jewish Theological Seminary had served as the library stacks until a fire destroyed the inner core in 1966.

Identified as a priority in the master plan developed by JLGA, the reconstruction of the tower provided an opportunity to regain valuable unused space and mend the fabric of the campus by joining two adjacent building wings in a way not possible before.

JLGA inserted new floors within the shell of the tower to create new classrooms, administrative offices, executive meeting rooms, a faculty center, and a new computer and language lab. The entrance breezeway was enclosed to create a dramatic main lobby to welcome people to the Seminary with a new elevator tower providing barrier-free accessibility.