HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPB Reso 2010-13HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD RESOLUTION NO. 2010 -13
A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION
BOARD OF THE CITY OF SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLORIDA,
DESIGNATING TEMPLE B'NAI ZION LOCATED AT 200
178TH STREET AS AN HISTORIC SITE; PROVIDING FOR
IMMEDIATE EFFECT; PROVIDING FOR PROTECTION
FROM ALTERATION OR DEMOLITION; PROVIDING FOR
THE RIGHT TO APPEAL HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION;
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, a primary function of the City of Sunny Isles Beach's ( "City ") Historical
Preservation Board is to designate, preserve, protect and maintain historic buildings, areas, sites,
artifacts, memorabilia, and promote public awareness as a source of history and heritage in the
City; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 171 of the City Code of Ordinances provides the procedures for
designation of historic sites; and
WHEREAS, the City's Historic Preservation Board held a public hearing on June 22,
2010, with notice to the public duly provided, to determine whether the Temple B'Nai Zion
located at 200 178t1' Street should be designated as an historic site; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the June 22nd public hearing, the City's Historic
Preservation Board reviewed the designation report prepared by the Board's Historic Consultant
Ellen J. Uguccioni, evaluated the testimony of expert witnesses and public speakers, and
considered other material presented at the public hearing; and
WHEREAS, the City's Historic Preservation Board finds that the Temple B'Nai Zion,
limited to 1) the Main Sanctuary, 2) Portico, and 3) Memorial Tower, meets the criteria for
historic site designation and should be so designated under Chapter 171 of the City Code.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION
BOARD OF THE CITY OF SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The foregoing recital paragraphs are hereby ratified
and confirmed as being true and the same are hereby made part of this Resolution.
Section 2. Historic Site Designation. That the City's Historic Preservation Board hereby
finds that the Temple B'Nai Zion, which is limited to 1) the Main Sanctuary, 2) Portico, and 3)
Memorial Tower, be designated as an historic site under Chapter 171 of the City Code, as more
fully described in the designation report prepared by Ellen J. Uguccioni, a copy of which is
attached hereto as Exhibit "A ". Temple B'Nai Zion is more particularly described as:
I listorical Preservation Board Resolution No. 2010 - 13 Page 1 of 3
Legal Description: 11 52 42 1.05 AC Sunny Isles Shores Sec B PB 65 -47 TR C Block 7
lot size 45738 Square feet F /A/U 30 -2211- 006 -0350 OR 09785 -1664 0777 01
Location: 200 178 "' Street, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.
Section 3. Immediate Effect. That the historic site designation of the Temple B'Nai Zion,
limited to 1) the Main Sanctuary, 2) Portico, and 3) Memorial Tower, shall take effect
immediately.
Section 4. Protection from Alteration or Demolition. That the portions of the Temple B'Nai
Zion, limited to 1) the Main Sanctuary, 2) Portico, and 3) Memorial Tower, be accorded all
protection under applicable City ordinances now existing or subsequently enacted to preserve the
aforementioned portions of the Temple B'Nai Zion from modification in its exterior appearance,
including alteration and /or demolition. Furthermore, no building permits shall be issued to alter
and /or demolish the aforementioned portions of the Temple B'Nai Zion.
Section 5. Right to Appeal. That in accordance with Section 171 -4 of the City Code, the
owner(s) of Temple B'Nai Zion have the right to appeal its historic site designation within 14
days from the date of this Resolution to the City Commission.
Section 6. Severability. That if any clause, section or other part of this Resolution shall be
held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this
Resolution shall not be affected thereby, but shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 7. Effective Date. This Resolution will become effective upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this ;QJday of lA'F 52010.
Masters, Chair
n Isles Beach Historic Preservation Board
ATTEST:
(::S� �t artlt�
Jane A. Hines, CMC, City Clerk
I Iistorical Yresen•ation Board Resolution No. 2010 - 13 Nagc 2 of 3
Moved by:
Amt- f' �1►0 �
Seconded by: (2, or& S" G '13012.
Vote as Follows: q,-- I — z
Joe Masters
✓ (Yes)
(No)
Cassey Gabor
V' (Yes)
(No)
Shari Blank
Trina Duluc — NosevA-
✓ (Yes)
(Yes)
(No)
(No)
Phillip Chernoff -, Os652m_'
(Yes)
(No)
Janet Cini
(Yes)
(No)
Mark Glicksman
(Yes)
V TNo)
Historical Preservation Board Resolution No. 2010 - 13 Page 3 of 3
TEMPLE B"NAI ZION, INCLUDING
MAIN SANCTUARY, PORTICO AND
MEMORIAL TOWER
(Originally Sunny Isles Epiphany Lutheran Church)
200 178Th Street
Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Historic Landmark Designation Report
Original Rendering by architect Wiliam Kreldt
Courtesy, Allan Shulman FAIA
EXHIBITS "A"
REPORT OF THE CITY OF SUNNY ISLES BEACH
HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSULTANT
TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD
ON THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF THE
TEMPLE B'NAI ZION, INCLUDING THE MAIN SANCTUARY,
PORTICO AND MEMORIAL TOWER,
AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK
Prepared by Ellen Uquccioni
Assisted by Trisha Logan
Preparation of Designation
Report Authorized by
HPB Resolution No. 2010 -12 on 1/ 13/2010
0
CONTENTS
General Information
M
II, Significance
6
IIL Description
12
IV. Character defining features of Temple B'Nai Zion
16
V. Photographs
17
VI. Bibliography
24
3
I, GENERAL INFORMATION
Historic Name:
Sunny Isles Epiphany Lutheran Church;
Miami Beach United Lutheran Church of the Epiphany
Current Name:
Temple B'Nai Zion Synagogue
(Including the Main Sanctuary, Portico and Memorial Tower)
Location:
200 1781' Street
Folio Number
31 -2211- 006 -0350
Present Owner:
Temple B'Nai Zion, Inc.
Present Use:
Religious Institution
Land Use and Zonina:
CF -Code 265 -29
Future Land Use:
0044 Religious
LDR:
0044 Religious
Boundary Description:
11 52 42 1.05 AC Sunny Isles Shores Sec B PB 65 -47 TR C Block 7 lot size 45738
Square feet F /A /U 30- 2211- 006 -0350 OR 09785 -1664 0777 01
Classification:
Historic Landmark
J
Temple B"Nal Zion
200 178 +h Street
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a
178TH STREET
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Location
Site plan
II, SIGNIFICANCE
Dates of Construction:
1964
Architect:
William Conrad Kreidt, Sr.
Builder /Contractor:
Duffy Construction
Statement of Sianificance:
Context
By the mid 1950s, the United States experienced a culture that revolved
around the automobile. The average citizen could now possess enough
horsepower to see the country, riding along newly created parkways and
interstate highways. Inner cities became blighted as home ownership
became affordable, land was plentiful and subdivisions were built
overnight. The ubiquitous Ranch House with its prominent garage bay
further reinforced the "motor age."
From its very beginnings, the State of Florida promoted itself as a vacation
destination, with an exoticism promising almost otherworldly sights for weary
winter residents. The fifties in the Greater Miami area boasted such
attractions as Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Coppinger's Tropical Paradise,
Anirama, Famous Trees, Lost Lake and Caverns, Seaquarium, the Rare Bird
Farm, Riviera Tropical Gardens, Musa Isle, the Serpentarium and Parrot
Jungle. I To accommodate these travelers, hundreds of motels were built,
each competing for their guests with glitz and kitsch, created by huge neon
signs and whimsical sculptural decorations that reinforced their themes.
The word "motel" is first thought to be associated with the Milestone Mo -tel
in San Luis Obispo, California that opened in 1926. The word "motor"
combined with "hotel" inferred that these accommodations were designed
for the highway traveler. During the early development of the industry, there
were also a number of other labels that described these highway respites
that included: motor court, tourist court, motel court, hotel court and
cottage court2.
1 Gary R. Morimino, Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida. (Gainesville: The
University of Florida Press, 2005. p.92
Z Ellen J. Uguccioni, Biscayne Boulevard/ Miami Modern (MiMo) Historic District) Miami: Janus Research, (City
of Miami Local Historic Designation Report) Planning Department, City of Miami, p.7
6
The number of motels rapidly increased during the 1930s, and then again in
the two decades following World War II. Not surprisingly, the number of
motels closely aligned with the number of registered automobiles, In 1956,
there were 24 million passenger cars, and by 1958, there were 57 million car
registrations. Motel operators across the country promoted themselves with
exotic associations that spoke directly to the fantasies of the travelers.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Florida. Beth Dunlop, the Miami
Herald's architecture critic said this about the motels in Miami:
Once these were the motels of Miami's tourists —the ones
who came not for the beach so much as the weather, for Spring Training
or the see the Serpentarium or other long gone attractions; they were
destinations, the first choice rather than the last stop3.
At the northern edge of Metropolitan -Dade County4, in the unincorporated
area of Sunny Isles, the beachfront property began to be developed in
earnest between the late 1940s through the 1960s, with a significant number
of motels built along the waters edge. This stretch of land at the northern
end of Collins Avenue between 158th and 195th Streets quickly earned the
nickname, "Motel Row." These tourist destinations not only brought the
temporary and seasonal visitor, but also long term residents, attracted by
both the beauty as well as the entertainment, including restaurants,
shopping, a casino, and of course the beach,
The motels in the area each expressed a theme designed to be more
exotic than the next. One such motel was The Sahara, a motel which still
stands as a landmark along the main thoroughfare of Collins Avenue. The
Sahara delights visitors by showcasing a desert theme, including five life -size
dromedary camels along with desert wanderers who act as greeters to
each passerby. Well -known local architect, Norman Giller, designed several
of these motels5.
A Brief History of Sunny Isles Beach
The land constituting the barrier island that would become the City of Sunny
Isles Beach was bought by Harvey Baker Graves in 1918, but it was not until
1922 that any significant improvements were made in the area. In 1925 the
first great building accomplishment was completed, the Haulover Bridge,
which connected Sunny Isles to Miami Beach for the first time. Little
development took place over the next two decades, but in the late 1940s
building activity accelerated with the construction of approximately ninety
motels. Hallmarks in the development included the construction of the first
3 Ibid.
' Metropolitan Dade County's Charter was passed in 1957; at that time the county consisted of 27
municipalities.
5 Norman Giller died at the age of 90 in April 2008. During his prolific career he was among such practitioners
of Miami Modern architectural design as Morris Lapidus (The Fontainebleau.) Giller also designed the
unforgettable Thunderbird Motel in Sunny Isles. [The Miami Herald, Renowned MiMo architect Giller Dead at
90. 20 April 2008, p. 81
7
4 -story hotel in Sunny Isles Beach, the Golden Strand in 1946 and the first
two -story motel in the United States, the Ocean Palm that opened in 19476,
With the influx of both visitors and permanent residents, particularly on
weekends, the attention to the spiritual needs of the people became more
apparent. In 1957, through a pilot project conducted by the Board of
American Missions of the Lutheran Church, it became clear that the
Lutherans in the area of "Motel Row" were underserved, That same year the
roughly triangular lot at the intersection of 179th Drive; 178th Street, Atlantic
Boulevard and 178th Drive was purchased at a cost of sixty thousand dollars.
The congregation's name was changed from Miami Beach United Lutheran
Church of the Epiphany to Sunny Isles Epiphany Lutheran Church.
On November 1, 1962 ground was broken for the construction of the Sunny
Isles Epiphany Lutheran Church designed by local architect William Conrad
Kreidt. The structure is designed in a Mid - Century Modern style, a
breathtaking contemporary expression that left behind the historicist styles
that were immediately recognizable as places of worship. The church
property consists of a main sanctuary with a portico7 running across the
front, a cultural center, and a small building functioning as a connector
between the two,8 The church was dedicated on February 23, 1964 costing
$ 190,000 with an additional freestanding memorial tower terminating in a
cross, built at a cost of $18,500.9 The first pastor of the church was the
Reverend J. Bender Miller, who served the church for seven years until his
retirement in 1971.10
A Transition
The east side of that stretch of Al A (Collins Avenue) just north of the City of
Golden Beach beginning at NE 163rd Street, called "Sunny Isles" was
booming after World War ll. Its pioneering waterfront motels helped to
create the "post card" image of Florida, Motels were designed with
theatrical abandon; a phoenix rising on the Thunderbird Motel; life -size
concrete camels and Bedouins in white robes at The Sahara; a fiberglass
Sphinx at The Suez; a leaping prospector at The Golden Nugget, and
flamboyant mermaids serving as supports for the porte - cochere of The Blue
Mist Motel." " Motel Row" was booming during the 1950s, but eventually
the strip lost its glamour; the motels could not compete with the luxury high -
rise hotels built in other parts of Metropolitan -Dade County; the beach was
6 Richard C. Schulman, City Historian, "The History of Sunny Isles/ Sunny Isles Beach" n.d. p.10-
11
A portico is defined as a covered walkway, often leading to the main entrance of a
building, consisting of a roof supported by columns or pillars consisting of a roof supported
by columns or pillars.
s The connector building and community center are not proposed for designation.
9 "Sunny Isles Lutheran... Something Unique," The Miami News, 2 February1964,
10 Reverend Bender Miller, Ex- Lutheran Minister (obituary) The Miami Herald, 21 November
1987, p.3C
" "For Sunny Isles' Motels, A Kitschy Sun is Setting" The Miami Herald. 5 August 2001, p. 1A
8
eroding, and the waterfront land values rose exponentially, foretelling the
doom of these low -rise motels along the Atlantic coast.
By 1967, Dade County's northernmost beach, a 1.2 square mile area,
witnessed the construction of its first modern high -rise hotel along Sunny
Isles' Motel Row, the Newport Beach Resort. In the following years, the
kitschy motels gave way to luxury high -rise condominiums, and citizens
weighed their place in the Metropolitan Dade government and evaluated
the services provided. Unhappy with police protection, trash pickup and
bus service, among other issues, leaders in the community formed an
organization called "Concerned Citizens of Northeast Dade County." In
1996, residents Irving Turetsky, David Sampson, Norman S. Edelcup, Danny
Iglesias, and Irving Diamond began the process of incorporating Sunny Isles
as its own municipality.12 Their efforts led to the incorporation of Sunny Isles
after an affirmative vote taken on April 1996 with an enormous turnout (72.7
per cent of the registered voters,) voting in favor,13 A year later citizens
officially decided the name of their new city - -- Sunny Isles Beach. The city
became Metropolitan Dade County's thirtieth municipality.
Relationship to Criteria for Designation:
The Temple B'Nai Zion has significance in the historical and architectural
heritage of the City of Sunny Isles Beach under the city's Chapter 171
entitled "Historic Landmarks ", and in particular Section 171 -5 "Standards for
designation of archaeological and historical landmarks," under the
following Criterion:
Criterion 171 -5 (b): Are the site of an historic event with significant effect
upon the community, City, sate, or nation.
The Temple was used as a site for an emotional gathering of Holocaust
survivors on March 28, 2004. This historic event had approximately three
hundred survivors in attendance, a ceremony that has had a lasting effect
on the community.
Criterion 171 -5 (c): Exemplify the historical, cultural, political, economic, or
social trends of the community.
This criterion speaks to the broader patterns of local history. For example,
the City of Sunny Isles Beach's decision to form its own municipal
government in 1997 is part of the historical and political trends that is of
great importance. The United Lutheran Church's decision to build a
Protestant Church in the area that would be the first to serve congregants
along "Motel Row, "14 evidences both cultural and social trends within the
u Richard C. Schulman, City Historian p. 13
" Ibid.
14 Metropolitan Dade County Zoning Appeals Board Application For Public Hearing, dated
December 12, 1961 (changing the zoning to allow the use of the land for a church and
parking lot.)
9
community. Its conversion into a Jewish Temple completes the cultural
journey.
Social Criterion
In a superbly ironic twist to history, Carl's Fisher's edicts, which discriminated
against Jewish people, were overturned when the population of Miami
Beach became largely Jewish.15 During the 1920s and 1930s, Florida's
"public" accommodations were largely restricted. Signs described the
"right" kind of clientele with signs that read "Gentiles Only "; "Exclusive ";
"Whites Only "; "No Latins Allowed," and the all- encompassing "We reserve
the right to refuse service to anyone," 16
The implications of the "Social Security Act" in 1935 and corporate
America's pension incentives led to yet another wave of migration to the
"Sunshine State." After World War ll, the Veteran's Administration and the
Federal Housing Authority provided the means for many to own their own
homes. As compared to major northern cities, Florida housing was relatively
inexpensive and because the state had no income tax, its advantages
became clear to many. 17
Between 1945 and 1960, Miami's Jewish population grew at a rate of 800
persons per month. By the 1970s, Miami had the fifth- largest Jewish
population, trailing only New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.18
In 1943, when Wolfie Cohen opened his legendary delicatessen in Sunny
Isles, the patronage included many Jews, but Gentiles alike, who came only
because of the quantity and quality of the food. The escalating Jewish
population in Florida was extraordinary, and by the millennium (2000,) two
of every three Jews living in the south, made Florida their home, 19
In 1977, the Sunny Isles Lutheran Church was sold to Temple B'Nai Zion,
reflecting the growing Jewish demographic and the need for additional
houses of worship, to augment those existing in adjacent Miami Beach. As
the fortunes of Miami Beach changed, so too, did the synagogues, A 1983
Miami Herald article noted that there were 22 synagogues located in Miami
Beach, but that many of them were seeing a decline in membership. At
Temple King Solomon (Conservative) and the Beth Jacob (Orthodox)
synagogues the congregations flourished in the 1960s, but in the early 1980s
membership of the synagogues began to decline, At Beth Jacob, the
membership went from some 350 families to 100. 20 That decline coincides
15 Carl Fisher first saw what was to become "Miami Beach" in 1910 during a vacation. He
promptly began buying land and promoting his barrier island as the ultimate in beach
resorts. By the 1920s (Florida's land boom,) Fisher was worth over $100 million, and the
popularity of Miami Beach as a tourist destination was forever established.
16 Gary Morimino, "Land of Sunshine -State of Dreams, A Social History of Modern Florida"
(Gainesville: University Press of Florida), 2005, p.96
17 Morimino, p.128
18 Ibid.
19 Morimino, p.16 -17
20 Andres S, Viglucci "Keeping the Faithful Isn't Easy' The Miami Herald, Neighbors Miami
Beach, 24 November 1983, p.10
10
with the financial woes of Miami Beach as its many low -rise housing units
had fallen into disrepair and the city's demographics showed a
disproportionate number of elderly residents. The glamour of Miami Beach
had been lost,
Beginning with the efforts of Barbara Capitman who founded the Miami
Design Preservation League in 1976, the beginnings of a renaissance were
in motion. In 1979 the "Art Deco District" was listed in the National Register
of Historic Places, starting a major development boom on the beach. More
and more people moved into "the beach" achieving a level of success not
thought possible.
Temple B'Nai Zion was founded in 1983, and flourished as a Conservative
temple. By 1986, the temple had grown to 400 families, and was the largest
in Sunny Isles.21 Because of its increasing growth, the temple purchased the
Sunny Isles Lutheran Church in 1997. Most recently the temple changed
from Conservative to Orthodox. As a result a renovation took place to
comply with the religious imperatives. The temple's seats that previously
faced west were moved so that they face eastward towards Jerusalem.
The ark where the Torah is kept was also moved, and a separate section for
women was created as in Orthodox rules, women did not sit with the men
of the congregation.22 Today, the temple is unoccupied.
An Unprecedented Ceremony
On Sunday, March 28, 2004 over two hundred of the nearly three hundred
men and women who made their homes in Sunny Isles Beach, survivors of
history's most cruel and ignominious chapter - -- the Holocaust —met
together at the Temple B'Nai Zion for a somber, yet joyful, reunion and
celebration of life. The brainchild of Mayor Norman S. Edelcup, ably assisted
by City Historian Richard C. Schulman, the City of Sunny Isles Beach paid
tribute to Sunny Isles Beach citizen's who had survived the Holocaust.
Dignitaries from the city, state and nation joined the survivors to pay
homage to those whose fragile lives were spared. The attendees included
Mayor Edelcup and the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission, State Attorney
Katherine Fernandez - Rundle; State Senator Gwen Margolis; Representative
Dan Gelber; Martin Goldman and Naomi Katz of the National Holocaust
Memorial Museum, and Rossita Kenigsberg of the Holocaust
Documentation and Education Center.
Others who could not attend but wished to acknowledge this extraordinary
gathering, sent their well wishes, including: U.S. Senator Robert (Bob)
Graham; U.S. Senator Bill Nelson; U.S. Congressman Peter Deutsch; Martin
Goldman, the Director of Survivor Affairs for the United States Holocaust
Museum, and Martin J. Levy from the Survivors of Shoah Visual History
" "Max Krieger, Temple B'Nol Zion Founder (obituary) The Miami Herald, 21 November 1984,
p.3c
ii "Synagogue Seats Now Face East. The Miami Herald, Neighbors Aventura, 28 May 2006 p.
3AV
11
Foundation on behalf of famed movie director, Steven Spielberg. After the
Sunny Isles Beach Police Department's presentation of the colors, Rabbi
Meyer Abramowitz and Cantor Cesar Beleniski, gave the invocation and
led Hatikvah23.
After the emotionally stirring words of Ms. Kenigsberg, she commended the
City of Sunny Isles Beach for its unprecedented acknowledgment of
history's witnesses. She said, in part,
I commend and laud the City of Sunny Isles Beach for this wonderful and
special gesture in recognition of this group, who despite of their tragic
and painful past, have not become embittered or filled with hate.
Though perhaps the survivors did not feel as if they were heroes, their
courage, by living through the inconceivable, and despite of it, conducting
their lives filled with service, generosity and love, eclipsed human
understanding. In recognition of that courage, the City of Sunny Isles Beach
presented each person present with a medallion; a pendant on a red,
white and blue ribbon, a symbol of gratitude.
This amazing tribute, organized by selfless individuals in the community, was
a once -in -a- lifetime event.
III. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: TEMPLE B'NAI ZION
DESCRIPTION
Present and Original _Appearance:
The Temple B'Nai Zion is located on 178th Street in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.
The main elevation faces north, with the building situated slightly at an angle
on a five -sided corner lot bounded by 178th Street to the north, Atlantic
Boulevard to the east, 1781h Drive to the northwest, 177th Drive to the
southeast,
Exterior Description:
Even though the church is a modern building the architect referenced
centuries -old design elements and interpreted them in a modern way. In this
case buttresses have been used to support the weight of the roof, although
they are not typical of the buttresses found in traditional medieval cathedrals,
In those 12th and 13th century cathedrals 'flying buttresses" extended from a
high point near the roof to the ground.
Throughout Florida, other Christian churches were building structures of similar
design for their congregations, each one with a roof modeled after Northern
Renaissance engraver's Albrecht Durer's praying hands, clasped together as
if reaching heavenward, One such structure is the First Christian Church in
Melbourne Florida (Fig. 14) designed by Nils M. Schweizer in 1961. The church
23 "City pays Tribute to its Survivors." The Miami Herald, Neighbors Beach, 1 April 2004. p.1
12
features a similar roof structure including roof beams supported by low -lying
modern buttresses. Because of this similarity in the roof structure, a triangular
shape is formed enframing a stained glass window. This building is also
strikingly similar with its use of a portico running across the front entrance
supported by a series of cantilevered columns,
Another similar structure is St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Sarasota, Florida
(Fig. 15) designed by renowned "Sarasota School" architect Victor Lundy in
1959. This structure also employs a similar roof structure and modern
buttresses, and includes a wood paneled interior ceiling. (Fig.16) Another
feature that resembles Temple B'Nai Zion is a series of window slits along the
side aisles of the church. Other design influences evident in the Temple B'Nai
Zion include Frank Lloyd Wright's last masterpiece -- Florida Southern College
in Lakeland, Florida, The college has the largest collection of buildings
designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. (Fig.8) Most of the
structures were built during the 1940s and 50s, including a colonnaded
walkway that extends throughout the entire campus.
The design for the Florida Southern esplanade is strikingly similar to the portico
of the Temple B'Nai Zion, particularly in the design for the columns. Each
employ concrete block, tapered at an angle starting with a small triangular
shape at the ground and gradually increasing is size as they stack towards
the roof.
Exterior Description:
(Note, the connector building (D) and community center (E) ore included only
to complete the record, and are not recommended for historic landmark
designation)
LVUAIIUIV KtY
A MAIN SANCTUARY
B PORTICO
C MEMORUILTOWER
D CONNECTOR
E COMMUNITY CENTER
13
The Temple B'Nai Zion (A) is a one -story A -frame "praying hands" style
building (Fig.l &2) that was constructed in 1964. In addition to the Main
Sanctuary, Portico and Memorial Tower, the site design included a connector
building and a meeting hall. Designed in the Mid - Century Modern Style, the
exterior of Temple B'Nai Zion is clad in randomly coursed limestone blocks,
with a copper roof.
The main entrance to the building faces the northeast corner of the lot, at the
intersection of 1781t, Street and Atlantic Boulevard. The entrance is preceded
by the Memorial Tower(C) and a welcoming portico (B) that is supported by
a series of triangularly shaped columns that progressively grow from the
ground up as stacked triangles. Supported by the columns is a cantilevered
covered portico (Fig,7) with the entry doors at the center. (Fig.6) Slightly
recessed from the portico, connected by a small covered walkway is a pair
of double doors adorned with a bronze abstract star. The center of the wall
above the entry doors is a series of glass panels set on a diagonal with
wooden vertical and diagonal muntins that create a pattern of an
abstracted tree, referencing the beautiful stained glass center panel at the
rear of the church. The Memorial Tower (C) is a tower of concrete coated
steel that begins with a wider support at the bottom, and then soars towards
the sky, higher than the main roof ridge of the church, originally terminating in
a cross. (Fig.4)
The most striking architectural component of Temple B'Nai Zion is its roof,
(Fig.3) composed of sturdy beams that extend down into low -lying buttresses.
(Fig.S) The roof creates a swooping sensation with the ridge starting low at the
front of the building and gradually rising to its point at the rear. The shape of
the roof forms a triangular shape, which holds a large stained glass window
behind the altar, originally called the "Grace Window. "24 (Fig.9 &10)
The high peaked roof creates a feeling of openness within the interior of the
Main Sanctuary; this feeling is maximized through the use of large windows as
well as the multiple slits containing stained glass windows that line the side
aisles. The interior showcases the materials that are found on the exterior of
the building, including the limestone blocks forming the walls and wood
paneling on the ceiling. (Fig.1 l) The space seats 310 with room for an
additional 200 chairs in overflow areas.
Temple B'Nai Zion retains a high degree of architectural integrity and there
have only been minimal changes to the original design. One small change
includes the replacement of the cross on the memorial tower with the Star of
David. The entrance to the synagogue also features a monumental
menorah. Hand rails have been incorporated on the steps leading to the
synagogue with a Star of David incorporated into the balusters. The original
stained glass windows that line the side aisles have been replaced with clear
glass.
24 "Sunny Isles Lutheran... Something Unique," The Miami News, 2 Februaryl964.
14
Additional Buildings on the Site
A simple connecting building (D), clad with several different materials, acts as
a link between the main sanctuary and the community center (E). (Fig. 12)
The community center is a rectangular building clad in limestone and stucco.
(Fig. 13) (Buildings (D) and (E) are not a part of the recommendation for
historic site designation)
Summary:
The Temple B'Nai Zion (formerly the Sunny Isles Epiphany Lutheran Church),
which includes the Main Sanctuary, Portico and Memorial Tower, is a tour de
force of modern architecture that exhibits outstanding ecclesiastical design
in both its exterior and interior,
Conclusion/ Recommendation
Criteria:
Section 171 -5 (b): Are the site of an historic event with significant effect upon
the community, City, state, or nation.
Section 171 -5 (c): Exemplify the historical, cultural, political, economic, or social
trends of the community.
The Main Sanctuary, Portico, and Memorial Tower of Temple B'Nai Zion meet
the criteria contained in Sections 171 -5(b) and 171 -5(c) of the City of Sunny Isles
Beach Code of Ordinances, and the consultant recommends deslgnating
Temple B'Nai Zion, including the Main Sanctuary, Portico, and Memorial Tower
as a historic landmark. Neither the Connector nor the Community Center is
recommended for historic site designation.
15
IV. CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES OF TEMPLE B'NAI ZION
The following list the pre- eminent character defining features of Temple B'Nai
Zion:
A. MAIN SANCTUARY
Copper clad triangular roof
Broad expanses of glass, separated by mullions, center bay
Portico extending across the main entrance of the sanctuary composed of
sculptural columns of pyramidal shapes
Randomly coursed stone making up the walls of the sanctuary
Stained glass window with an abstract pattern, opposite of entrance
Buttresses composed of steel terminating in truncated pyramidal shape
"Gun -Slit" windows, regularly spaced along the sides of the sanctuary
B. PORTICO
Sculptural columns of pyramidal shapes
Flat, copper roof
Wooden overhang with dentils
Planked wood on underside of flat roof
C. MEMORIAL TOWER
Concrete coated steel beams
Wide concrete supports
Thin concrete beams defining the design of the tower
The Star of David fabricated in metal surmounting the tower
D. CONNECTOR (not included in the recommendation for designationl
Coarse aggregate concrete exterior wall
Low - sloped roof
Randomly coursed stone exterior wall
E. COMMUNITY CENTER (not included in the recommendation for designation)
Coarse aggregate concrete exterior wall
Slit stained glass windows on the north and west elevations
White stucco on exterior wall
01
V. PHOTOGRAPHS
PHOTO KEY
17
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Fig. 5: Butresses, Feb. 2010 Fig. 6: Entry doors, Feb. 2010
Fig. 7: Columns, Feb. 2010
IN
Fig. 8: Esplanade at Florida Southern College
Fig. 9: Grace Window, Ext., Feb. 2010
C
Fig. 10: Grace Window, Int„ Feb, 2010
•q j 4r.' � � �� ,,�t'�'t♦ u,;M�: c� �rj•,.�I+.•� .r ,. �.Z�?MJ•.
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Fig. 13: Community Center, Feb, 2010
Fig. 14: First Christian Church, Melbourne, i- ioriaa
22
Fig. 15: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Sarasota, Florida
Fig. 16: St, Paul's Lutheran Church Interior, Sarasota, Florida
23
VI, BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bramson, Seth H., "From Sandbar to Sophistication: The Story of Sunny Isles
Beach," Charleston London History Press, 2007.
Morimino, Gary R„ Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of
Modern Florida, Gainesville University of Florida Press, 2005. P.92
Schulman, Richard C., City Historian, "The History of Sunny Isles /Sunny Isles
Beach" n.d. p,13
Uguccioni, Ellen J„ Biscayne Boulevard /Miami Modern (MiMo) Historic
District, Miami: Janus Research, (City of Miami Local Historic Designation
Report) Planning Department, City of Miami, p.7
Viglucci, Andres S., "Keeping the Faithful Isn't Easy', The Miami Herald,
Neighbors Miami Beach, 24 November 1983, p.10
"City pays Tribute to its Survivors," The Miami Herald, Neighbors Beach, 1
April 2004, p.l
"For Sunny Isles' Motels A Kitschy Sun is Setting" The Miami Herald, 5 August
2001, p. l A
"Lutheran Church Gets New Pastor, New Name," The Miami News, 6 April
1957.
"Lutherans Find Need To Fill on Sunny Isles Motel Row," The Miami News, 2
Februaryl 964.
Max Krieger, Temple B'Noi Zion Founder (obituary) The Miami Herald, 21
November 1984, p.3C
"Sunny Isles Lutheran... Something Unique," The Miami News, 2
February] 964.
"Synagogue Seats Now Face East" The Miami Herald, Neighbors Aventura,
28 May 2006 p.3AV
Website, http:// www. fccmelbourne. org/ Symbolism%20in%20the%20Church90
20BuI Id! ng s%20and%20Brief9o20History%20of o20FCCM.htm
Website, http : / /www.bluffton,edu /- sullivanm /florida /sarasota /lundy /lundy.h
tml
24