London's Jewish community is fairly large, and long established, but until the opening of JW3 in late 2013 it lacked a high-profile venue for the enjoyment and celebration of Jewish culture. The nascent institution—whose name is a play on its postal code (NW3)—is housed in an elegant, welcoming pavilion that has quickly become a popular destination for Jews and non-Jews alike, surpassing projections by attracting 245,000 visitors to 4,000 events in its first year.

JW3's principal promoter, philanthropist Vivien Duffield, was inspired by the American Jewish Community Center (JCC) movement. She acquired a half-acre corner site on a busy street in northwest London and sought the opinion of several architects on the character of the spaces and mix of uses the institution might have. The successful candidate, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, advised against the emphasis on sports often found in JCCs, which would have high ongoing costs and niche appeal. “We didn't want to make a sweaty box for boys,” says project director Alex Lifschutz. Instead, JW3 appeals to the whole community, with a cinema, restaurant, child-care center, and 268-seat auditorium, as well as multipurpose rooms that support a wide variety of social, educational, and recreational activities. The building is “a machine for making culture” as well as a place to consume it, says Lifschutz.