National Jewish Memorial Centre

The ACT Jewish Community approached Philip Leeson Architects with the brief to extend their existing building to accommodate expanding community programs and improve on security for their congregation.

The new addition pays homage to the mass of the original building by using concrete block as a main material. Block walls form a large curved façade, that arcs around a new northern courtyard to abut the existing building at the southern end.

The curved wall forms a new public entry to the community centre, with minimal openings for privacy and protection. This dominant feature of the design is also a planning device, as new program expands along its length, from private offices spaces, to the public foyer, gallery spaces and multi-use classroom spaces.