Glueck Center for Jewish Study New York : Information

YESHIVA UNIVERSITY TO DEDICATE HOK-DESIGNED JACOB AND DREIZEL GLUECK CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDY 10 Sep 2009 The new 60,000-square-foot center is the first new building to be constructed on the Wilf Campus, in Washington Heights, in more than 20 years. NEW YORK - The new Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study at Yeshiva University will make its public debut at a dedication and celebration beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13. Glueck Center photo : Yeshiva University Connected to the Mendel Gottesman Library through the Nagel Family Atrium and Student Commons, the Center's six floors and lower-level archives house a two-story, 500-seat Beit Midrash (Torah Study Hall); modern lecture halls; 11 classrooms, conference and seminar rooms; faculty and student lounges; a dean's suite; 50 faculty and administrative offices; library archival space; a patio; and gardens. HOK's design meets the university's mission of Torah Umadda (the synthesis of general and Jewish studies) by linking of the Glueck Center and the Mendel Gottesman Library via a ground floor atrium. The Center will be a venue for faculty and students to study and meet informally to share ideas. The facilities will incorporate state-of-the-art technology, including electronic access to library resources. "It is so meaningful that the Beit Midrash will be connected to the library because it underscores our commitment to study the sacred texts with open eyes to allow these profound values to enrich the world," said Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel. The building's exterior respects the context of the adjoining building and allows the maximum amount of natural light into the Study Hall. The Glueck Center is entirely new construction and has its own vertical stair circulation, stairs, and mechanical systems. "The design provides Yeshiva with a contemporary yet contextual design, for their first new building in 20 years, with the goal of knitting the program of the existing library together with a new study hall and academic spaces," said Kenneth Drucker, Director of Design for HOK New York. "We used channel glass, recessed sidelights and Vetter stone (very similar to Jerusalem stone) in the composition of the façade while simultaneously blending a very efficient building into the fabric of the campus." The morning dedication and celebration will take place on the Wilf Campus in Washington Heights. The Glueck Center itself is located at the corner of 185th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Visit the campus website for a complete schedule of events. The Center's namesake, Philanthropist Jacob Glueck, is a Holocaust survivor who came to the United States virtually penniless. He built Citromax S.A.C.I. into one of the country's foremost suppliers of flavorings for food and beverage industries. Jacob and his wife, Dreizel, became major philanthropists in the United States and Israel. In 1998, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary awarded him its Eitz Chaim Award, the highest honor it bestows for advancement of Jewish scholarship. Vivian Glueck Rosenberg, his daughter, is a Yeshiva University Trustee and member of the Board of Directors of Stern College for Women, as well as co-founder of the Dreizel Glueck Bikur Cholim Foundation. She and her husband, Henry Rosenberg, continue her father's example of leadership in the Jewish community. Founded in 1986, Yeshiva University is a private university with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities. Through its collaborative network of 23 offices worldwide, the firm serves diverse clients within the corporate, commercial, public and institutional markets. HOK is committed to developing resources and expertise to help lead the world toward sustainable communities and building environments. Founded in 1955, the firm's expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment and construction services. Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study New York image / information from HOK Architects 109090 New York Architecture New York Architecture Studios HOK Architects - US Building Selection Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research Indianapolis Airport Terminal, Indiana photo : Sam Fentress / HOK Indianapolis Airport Terminal