Marking 25 Years of Partnership, BBB Updates the Center for Jewish History’s Public Spaces
Redesigned lobby, bookstore, and signage mark a new chapter for the cultural institution in Manhattan
The Center for Jewish History, one of the world’s foremost institutions dedicated to the preservation and study of Jewish culture, has unveiled a refreshed public face, 25 years after the Center first opened its doors with a design by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners (BBB). As the Center’s public engagement and cultural programming continue to grow, these enhancements improve the arrival experience for a growing number of visitors—reflected in record attendance for the current world premiere of Anne Frank The Exhibition—and position the Center for its next 25 years.
The Center for Jewish History is home to five partner organizations—the American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research—and holds the world’s second-largest collection dedicated to Jewish history. It offers access to archival materials, exhibitions, and educational programs that inspire discovery and dialogue.
The new project by BBB includes three components: a redesigned entry lobby, the opening of Ruth’s Bookstore, and new interior and exterior graphic elements designed by LVCK—A Beyer Blinder Belle Studio.
Entry Lobby Renovations
An open and welcoming public arrivals space sets a new design vision for the Center as it looks ahead to its next quarter-century. BBB’s approach pairs a modernist geometric logic with a warm contemporary material palette, which results in a refined space that is also welcoming to visitors.
The Center’s main entrance was shifted to the western side of the 16th Street facade to accommodate the new bookstore and improve security and check-in for exhibitions. The existing black terrazzo flooring and Michele Oka Doner’s inlaid aluminum and bronze artwork Biblical Species provided cues for the updated color and material palette. A new stone and metal reception desk complements the space, while a coffered ceiling of gray felt tiles adds a contemporary rhythm and enhances acoustic performance.
Ruth’s Bookstore
Located at the eastern end of the lobby, Ruth’s Bookstore—a gift of Ruth and Sid Lapidus—supports the Center’s mission through a curated collection of books for public perusal and purchase. Ash wood shelving and display tables create a light and welcoming retail space, while integrated signage designed by LVCK contributes to the Center’s new graphic identity.
Graphic Identity
In addition to designing the interior signage for the bookstore and lobby, LVCK also designed a new entry kiosk that stands perpendicular to the building along 16th Street. Constructed of powder-coated aluminum, it is lit from within to draw attention to the new, relocated entry—and to evoke the illumination that comes from scholarship and deep engagement with Jewish history and culture.
"Timed to coincide with the Center's 25th anniversary, this project was an opportunity to renew the Center’s public face for the next 25 years,” said Henry P. Miller, AIA, CPHC, LEED AP, a Principal at BBB. “Our design fundamentally remakes the lobby, making it brighter and more open, enhancing visitor services, and clarifying circulation. Central to the activation of the space, we designed a contemporary bookstore which offers books and objects inspired by and drawn from the Center's scholarship and cultural exhibitions. The bookstore animates the lobby and gives visitors a new portal into the Center's mission."
John H. Beyer, FAIA, AICP, Founding Partner of BBB, said: “My late partner Richard Blinder, one of the originators of the Center for Jewish History, described the original design concept as a balance among space for the public, space for the partner organizations, and private study areas where scholars can conduct their research. Having had the privilege to revisit that concept on multiple occasions, we find it continues to be relevant today—and now the Center is prepared to carry its mission forward for the next 25 years.”
“This transformation honors the Center’s legacy whilst also signaling the bold direction we’re taking for the future,” said Rio Daniel, CEO of the Center for Jewish History. “It has been a privilege to bring BBB back to the Center—reuniting us with the architects who helped realize Bruce Slovin’s original vision, and who understand how deeply space can shape the experience of history and community.”
"As we celebrate the Center for Jewish History’s 25th anniversary, our newly redesigned lobby and the opening of Ruth’s Bookstore mark an exciting new chapter in our mission,” said Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, President of the Center for Jewish History. “This revitalized space, beautifully reimagined by Beyer Blinder Belle, creates a welcoming and dynamic environment for visitors, scholars, and the community. Ruth’s Bookstore will serve as a hub for discovery, offering books that illuminate the richness of Jewish history and culture. These enhancements reflect our commitment to preserving the past while building a vibrant future for Jewish learning and engagement."
BBB and the Center for Jewish History: A 25-Year Partnership
In 1995, BBB was commissioned to create a permanent home for the Center near Union Square by unifying five contiguous lots that spanned 16th and 17th Streets. The firm inserted a new four-story structure at the heart of the block, centered around the Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Great Hall and the Lillian Goldman Reading Room above. Taller buildings along 17th Street house classrooms, offices, and archives for the Center’s five partner institutions. The Center’s collection initially included over 100 million documents and photographs, along with more than 10,000 artifacts and artworks—a number that has continued to grow.
Since the original project, BBB has served as architectural steward of the campus. In 2013, the firm completed the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute and the David Berg Rare Book Room—a secure, visible space for rare books and manuscripts. BBB has also conducted envelope and systems assessments, to help maintain conservation standards while improving energy performance, and is currently designing a youth digital learning lab scheduled to open later in 2025.
