Temple Israel
Ladue and Spoede Roads - west County
Architect: Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
1962

A sedate exterior in cream-colored brick, capped with an exuberant metal tower, contains the wonderfully geometric meeting spaces within.

The main sanctuary and its adjacent auditorium are a pair of hexagons in plan. The two rooms can be combined for high holidays by sliding track-mounted walls out of the way, expanding the seating capacity from 1,000 to 2,200. The altar and ark turn to face the realigned congregation. The roof structure mirrors the hexagon shape of the floor plan.

The sculpture behind the altar is by Rodney Winfield, an Emil Frei associate. The roof sculpture, and the two flanking the main entrance, are by Robert Cronbach.