The Maltz Performing Arts Center is the result of an innovative partnership between The Temple-Tifereth Israel and Case Western Reserve University, which purchased the iconic 1924-synagogue at the edge of campus with the intent to consolidate the university’s music and performing arts programs at one location. The multi-phased project renovated the historic sanctuary to accommodate music performances, lectures, and continued use as a place of worship and gathering and expanded the facility with a sizable addition for the university’s theater and dance departments. Our design for the phase II expansion complements rather than competes with the temple’s distinctive golden-hued dome.

Major program elements reside within largely opaque boxes sheathed in panels of limestone reminiscent of the stonework on the original temple. Stone-faced portions, including lobbies and faculty offices, are separated by sections with floor-to-ceiling glass, creating the effect of a geode – a solid form with a crystalline core.

The 65,000-SF addition contains a 250-seat proscenium theater, a 100-seat black box theater, back-of-house support, front-of-house amenities, classrooms, and faculty offices. This new consolidated home for the university’s theater, music, and dance programs terminates the western edge of CWRU’s Nord Greenway project, visually positioning the performing arts at one end with the Cleveland Museum of Art and the visual arts at the other end of the Greenway.