The roof caved in on the First-Roumanian American Congregation's synagogue Sunday afternoon. Then the rains came. But, The Villager reports, the rabbis plan to rebuild. Just how they'll do that remains unclear, though; insurance may not cover the collapse. A Department of Buildings spokesperson waxes philosophical: "The building is not at inevitable risk of collapse. But you can’t leave a building open to the elements too long. It's really up to them and their engineer what they decide to do."
Meantime, what did the collapse mean for neighbors at 123 Ludlow Street, a tenement adjoining the synagogue?
"I was getting my laundry and heard a rumble," [123 Ludlow tenant Ryan] Pearson recounted of the collapse... He and others took refuge at the bar of the new high-rise Hotel on Rivington a block away and were hoping they might be offered free rooms but were offered a rate, which he later realized was a premium, but which was still too steep for them.Thanks, THOR! For more THOR fun, click through to the Villager story, featuring a photo of the collapsed roof clearly taken from the top of everyone's favorite new high-rise.
· Rabbis Vow to Rebuild Synagogue After Collapse [The Villager]
· Weekend Architectural Destruction: Temple, Temple of Fashion [Curbed] BONUS: Over in Soho, new details on the Prada and Lure Fishbar rebuildings. And fresh wit from Rem: "Through an assistant in his Rotterdam office, Mr. Koolhaas relayed his condolences: 'It's raincoats next season,' he said."
· Prada Store Wrings Out [NYTimes]