The Heichal Hatorah synagogue was thoughtfully designed around the needs and character of its unique and devoted community of worshippers. With a deep sensitivity to spiritual experience, the architecture invites individuals on a considered journey – from the moment of arrival to the culmination in prayer. This procession is not merely functional, but ritualistic, creating a sense of gradual transition and mental preparation as one moves through carefully composed spatial thresholds.
A defining element of the design is its layering of both interior and exterior spaces, which acts as a buffer between the synagogue and the surrounding urban environment. This approach effectively filters out the noise and activity of the street, fostering a contemplative atmosphere within. Views are strategically framed toward intimate garden pockets, allowing natural elements to enter the space visually and enhancing a sense of peace and seclusion.
Materiality plays a central role in shaping the synagogue’s sensory and spiritual qualities. A restrained yet expressive palette of glass, timber, and concrete blockwork is employed to articulate form and space. These materials work in concert to emphasise volume and harness light, creating an interplay between solidity and transparency, permanence and transience. The robust texture of the concrete block offers grounding and durability, while timber introduces warmth and tactility. Glass surfaces reflect and refract natural light, animating the space throughout the day and further connecting the interior to its landscaped edges.
Office Statement
Architecturally
RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN established their architecture and interior design practice in 2015. Located in Melbourne, they focus primarily on the user experience and ones relationship to the built environment through an interiorised lens. Working across both public and private sectors a collaborative process ensures their work is considered and resolved.
Socially
Quintessentially each of their projects is developed within a social and physical contextual framework. They place an emphasis on locally sourced materials, craftsmanship and landscaping celebrating the characteristics of each site, creating engrained relationships between environment, material and trade.
Intellectually
Volume is loosely defined, held together in tension by the architectural shell, the original vessel. This vessel naturalises the externalities present in the immediate context creating harmony and a series of moments or pauses. Detailed studies of light, space and materiality create opportunities for design and the creation of spaces that are both profane and mundane, spaces of memory and imagination.
Coherent
Architecture, interior design and landscaping intersect through a cohesive design language. Materiality is reimagined both internally and externally for each project, creating a palette that is coherent throughout the whole design. This process underlines a reductionist philosophy aimed at expressing the architectural volume through a simplification of the elements.
Jean—Paul Ghougassian
Director
Jean-Paul pilots the interior design projects within the studio. His experience within the realm of design is unique and extensive having worked across a number of sectors. His oeuvre illustrates a high level of critical thinking and controlled spatial composition, and together with Gilad, he brings a holistic approach to the projects within the studio.
Gilad Ritz
Director
Gil leads the architectural discourse within the practice. His interest in architecture and the built environment stems from a focus in field studies and phenomenology. After initially studying economics at Monash University, he later undertook a Masters in Architecture at The University of Melbourne.
A highly rational thinker, with the ability to navigate constraints and work within a creative framework. Through the layering of time and patina, Gil sees architecture as constantly changing, negating its previous condition into something different. He is passionate about transforming simple and honest materials into something more precious.