Cultural Arts Center at The Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia

cULTURAL ARTS CENTER at The JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER of Northern Virginia

Fairfax, VA

Ritter Norton Architects designed the transformation of an abandoned former pre-school building (the original Jewish Community Center) into the new Smith-Kogod Cultural Arts Center. The building was completely renovated and expanded to include a multi-purpose meeting and performance space, a dance studio, a classroom, support areas, and various upgrades to meet the latest accessibility requirements including a new elevator. The scale and general form of the original historic building were maintained while transforming it into a more contemporary and welcoming facility. New materials and colors help architecturally unify the building with the rest of the community center campus. Larger and more dramatic window openings were incorporated to bring in more natural light, to better connect interior to exterior spaces, and give the passing community members glimpses of internal activities.