New Synagogue Addition designed by Preston Scott Cohen Draws National Attention
Congregation Beth Shalom Synagogue, designed by Preston Scott Cohen, Inc .—the firm founded by Preston Scott Cohen (MArch ’85), Gerald M. McCue Professor in Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design—and BNIM , was featured in the December 2025 issue of Architectural Record . The synagogue is an addition to a multiuse building in Overland Park, Kansas, that for nearly twenty years served as a temporary sanctuary for the local congregation. Completed in fall 2024, the new synagogue has drawn national attention for its ability to translate a rigorous architectural idea into a highly functional and welcoming sacred space.
The project addresses a familiar challenge: how to create a sanctuary that feels intimate for weekly Shabbat services yet can expand for the High Holy Days—without resorting to a generic “one big room” or to a sanctuary/social hall divided by a movable partition. Instead, the design centers on an oval-shaped sanctuary that contains movable seating, surrounding pews, and a balcony to support configurations ranging from small gatherings to large congregational events.
The building’s form is conceived as an interpretation of reading the Torah, with tilting and wrapping gestures that evoke the act of unrolling a scroll. The corrugated metal exterior, as well as the form of the ark (the cabinet that holds the Torah), reinforces the idea of a “scroll within a scroll.” Sited on a knoll and oriented east toward Jerusalem, the synagogue is also carefully planned to support accessibility and arrival, positioning the drop-off area and parking close to the lobby to better serve elderly and disabled congregants.
In profiling the project, Architectural Record highlights the building as a notable milestone within Cohen’s portfolio and a significant contribution to contemporary religious architecture.