Botta. Cymbaliste synagogue and Jwish Heritage Center Tel Aviv, Israel, 1996-1998

This book illustrates a major recent project by Mario Botta: The Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center in Tel Aviv – a great challenge for the Swiss architect, famous for his monumental works that are “fortresses” of art (museums), money (banks) and faith (churches).A place of prayer and discussion – a synagogue and a reading room – point of encounter for the religious and temporal worlds, masterfully interpreted by Botta and materialised in a solemn building that visually expresses the fundamentals of the Jewish religion – the two columns at the main entrance are reminiscent, and a symbol of Solomon’s Temple; the two towers and the interior spaces are perfectly equal, symbolizing the two realities of Israeli democracy, the secular and the religious; the fact that there are no decorations, and not even windows, is due to the Jewish tradition that requires the people not to be distracted while they pray , as such, the embrasures in the round towers are not meant to let light in, but to let it shine out, at night. Mario Botta. Born in Mendrisio in 1943, he graduated from the University of Architecture of Venice in 1969. His first constructions heralded intense design research that is expressed in numerous achievements all over the world, from the first one-family houses in Ticino to the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. Since 1970 he has conducted an important educational career – courses, conferences, seminars – in Europe, Asia, United States and Latin America. In recent years he has been working on a project for the new Academy of Architecture in Ticino.