Jewish Seminary's Tod Williams and Billie Tsien-led revamp is underway

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) officially commenced work on renovating and expanding its Morningside Heights campus this week. Their new “21st Century Campus” was designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, the same architects who are working on the Obama Presidential Library.

This new campus will be made possible in large part by the sale of land on their campus to developer Savanna. The sale is expected to have netted the institution $96 million. Savanna is planning a 32-story condo building (supposedly next to the seminary’s now demolished library) with 170 apartments.

Coming back to the Seminary’s new campus, the project will see the creation of a new residence hall, an auditorium, and a new library with world’s largest collections of Judaic and Hebraic books, manuscripts, and scrolls, among other additions.

“As we break ground on our new project, we also break ground on a new chapter for American Judaism,” Marc Gary, the executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at JTS, said in a statement. “The exterior of our new buildings will be brick, but the interior will be filled with Torah study, music, camaraderie, debate, new ideas, and new modalities.

Via the Jewish Theological Seminary

The announcement of the groundbreaking is accompanies by several new sketches of the new campus. The seminary is also allowing people to get continuous updates on their revamp on their website.

• Jewish Theological Seminary’s Morningside Heights campus will spring a 32-story condo [Curbed]
• Morningside Heights Jewish Seminary Inks $96M Redevelopment Deal [Curbed]