Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/1564 en-us High Theory Meets High Holy Days in Preston Scott Cohen and BNIM’s Suburban Synagogue Expansion http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17882 Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:07:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17882-high-theory-meets-high-holy-days-in-preston-scott-cohen-and-bnims-suburban-synagogue-expansion A. Alfred Taubman Wing at the University of Michigan by Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. jim@jamesgauer.com (James Gauer) A skillful expansion of the University of Michigan’s architecture and urban planning building cuts a striking silhouette on campus.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13051 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 09:10:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13051-a-alfred-taubman-wing-at-the-university-of-michigan-by-preston-scott-cohen-inc South-facing skylights on the sawtooth roof bring light deep into the building, which is clad in a purplish gray semigloss ironspot brick. Behind the glazed wall on the ground floor, a 2,400-square-foot classroom seats 120 students. Photo © James Haefner The southwest end of the building deviates from its rectangular form to wrap around the hexagonal commons area. Photo © James Haefner A courtyard between new and existing structures creates a natural point of entry to the glazed galleries. Photo © James Haefner Thanks to solar analysis and algorithmic modeling, sunlight does not directly strike workspaces in the studios. Photo © James Haefner Ramps, stairs, and landings enclose the 5,700-square-foot commons, a flexible space for performances, exhibitions, social activities, conferences, and final reviews. Photo © James Haefner Ramps, stairs, and landings enclose the 5,700-square-foot commons, a flexible space for performances, exhibitions, social activities, conferences, and final reviews. Photo © James Haefner Image courtesy Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. Image courtesy Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. Image courtesy Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. Tel Aviv Museum of Art goncharj@bnpmedia.com (Joann Gonchar, FAIA) Preston Scott Cohen, architect of the recently opened expansion to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, refers to the addition’s exterior as “the urban version” of the building’s Lightfall—the spiraling skylit atrium and circulation space that vertically connects the new galleries.

]]> tel-aviv-museum-faceted-facade.asp Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:30:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7874-tel-aviv-museum-of-art The facade panels, which are as long as 30 feet on a side and weigh up to 9 tons, are secured with welds to an underlying armature of steel ribs. These elements, placed every 8 feet on center, are tie Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe facade panels, which are as long as 30 feet on a side and weigh up to 9 tons, are secured with welds to an underlying armature of steel ribs. These elements, placed every 8 feet on center, are tied to the building's primary structure. To fabricate the precast cladding, contractors set up a shop in an already enclosed lower-level gallery. They used steel-topped tables as the formwork base and reconfigurable dams to define the panels Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelTo fabricate the precast cladding, contractors set up a shop in an already enclosed lower-level gallery. They used steel-topped tables as the formwork base and reconfigurable dams to define the panels' different shapes and angles. Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, Israel Tel Aviv Museum of Art goncharj@bnpmedia.com (Joann Gonchar, FAIA) The atrium, or Lightfall, inside the just-completed Amir Building addition to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art serves much the same purpose as the space at the heart of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

]]> tel-aviv-museum-spiraling-core.asp Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:30:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7875-tel-aviv-museum-of-art The formwork for the twisting Lightfall consisted of three layers: curved spruce planks assembled in a fashion similar to shipbuilding, sheets of bent plywood, and steel tubes welded together in a fan Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe formwork for the twisting Lightfall consisted of three layers: curved spruce planks assembled in a fashion similar to shipbuilding, sheets of bent plywood, and steel tubes welded together in a fanlike fashion.Photo: Ohad Matalon, courtesy Tel Aviv Museum of Art Embedded inside the Lightfall's surfaces is a dense network of rebar. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelEmbedded inside the Lightfall's surfaces is a dense network of rebar. Photo: Ohad Matalon, courtesy Tel Aviv Museum of Art The concrete surface is left exposed on the gallery-facing elevations of the Lightfall, revealing the imprint of the formwork. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe concrete surface is left exposed on the gallery-facing elevations of the Lightfall, revealing the imprint of the formwork.Photo: Ohad Matalon, courtesy Tel Aviv Museum of Art The galleries surrounding the Lightfall are composed of stacked and rotated structural systems. Vierendeel trusses, some carrying two levels and almost 30 feet deep, span as much as 110 feet. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe galleries surrounding the Lightfall are composed of stacked and rotated structural systems. Vierendeel trusses, some carrying two levels and almost 30 feet deep, span as much as 110 feet.Photo: Ohad Matalon, courtesy Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto: Ohad Matalon, courtesy Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of Art goncharj@bnpmedia.com (Joann Gonchar, FAIA) Seen from the flat plaza that wraps around it on two sides, Preston Scott Cohen's radical addition to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art strikes a geometrically independent pose.

]]> tel-aviv-museum-of-art.asp Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:30:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7876-tel-aviv-museum-of-art On the west, Cohen lightened the composition by inserting clear and translucent glazing that brings light and views into the museum store. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelOn the west, Cohen lightened the composition by inserting clear and translucent glazing that brings light and views into the museum store.Photo © Amit Geron From the plaza, visitors enter the $55 million addition through doors tucked into its folded form Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelFrom the plaza, visitors enter the $55 million addition through doors tucked into its folded formPhoto © Amit Geron The museum's main building was designed by Dan Eytan and Yitzchak Yashar. Opened in 1971, it proved to be a good example of how Israeli architects adapted the Brutalist style to the Mediterranean clim Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe museum's main building was designed by Dan Eytan and Yitzchak Yashar. Opened in 1971, it proved to be a good example of how Israeli architects adapted the Brutalist style to the Mediterranean climate.Photo © Amit Geron The new addition (seen as a rendered image in the photographic collage) stands across a small sculpture garden from the existing museum. It occupies a site within a larger complex of civic and cultura Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe new addition (seen as a rendered image in the photographic collage) stands across a small sculpture garden from the existing museum. It occupies a site within a larger complex of civic and cultural buildings, including a courthouse (bottom right in photograph), a public library (bottom center), and a performing arts center (far left).Photo © Amit Geron The poured-in-place concrete form of the Lightfall can be seen by visitors as they move around the central atrium space. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe poured-in-place concrete form of the Lightfall can be seen by visitors as they move around the central atrium space.Photo © Amit Geron Drawings from top to bottom show the Lightfall by itself, then with circulation paths, galleries, and finally the building's envelope. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, Israel Drawings from top to bottom show the Lightfall by itself, then with circulation paths, galleries, and finally the building's envelope.Photo © Amit Geron The 87-foot-high void at the center of the Lightfall comes as a dramatic contrast to the building's low-slung appearance from the plaza. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe 87-foot-high void at the center of the Lightfall comes as a dramatic contrast to the building's low-slung appearance from the plaza. Photo © Amit Geron The plain, orthogonal galleries spiral around the Lightfall, which asserts its presence at certain places within the exhibition spaces. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelThe plain, orthogonal galleries spiral around the Lightfall, which asserts its presence at certain places within the exhibition spaces.Drawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Long rectangular cuts in the Lightfall offer views through the central void and into galleries on the opposite side. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelLong rectangular cuts in the Lightfall offer views through the central void and into galleries on the opposite side.Drawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Visitors entering from the museum’s main building take a long escalator to the Israeli Promenade, a skylit space leading to galleries displaying 20th-century and contemporary Israeli artworks. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelVisitors entering from the museum’s main building take a long escalator to the Israeli Promenade, a skylit space leading to galleries displaying 20th-century and contemporary Israeli artworks.Drawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tucked into the northwest corner of the addition, the library is the only space with columns and one of the few with generous glazing. A lower level provides more space for stacks. Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelTucked into the northwest corner of the addition, the library is the only space with columns and one of the few with generous glazing. A lower level provides more space for stacks.Drawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelDrawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelDrawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelDrawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelDrawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelDrawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelDrawing courtesy Preston Scott Cohen Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of ArtPreston Scott CohenTel Aviv, IsraelPhoto © Amit Geron