Restoration of Historic Temple Emanu-El

Temple Emanu-El

TEMPLE EMANU-EL IS a synagogue that
is a prominent landmark in the East Side
neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island.
The Temple complex consists of the original
domed sanctuary
built in 1927 designed by the
then Boston-based firm Krokyn & Brown, an
education building built in 1953, and a meeting
house built in 1959 (Fig. 1 and 2). Wiss, Janney,
Elstner Inc. (WJE) started working with the
congregation at Temple Emanu-El in 2015 to
investigate coating and repair failures at the cast
stone facades of the sanctuary. In 2019, WJE
was contacted again by the Executive Director
and President of the Temple in 2019. Frustrated
with the ongoing deterioration of the cast stone
facades that clad the section of the sanctuary
that greeted neighbors walking by and
welcomed congregants inside, Temple administrators
enlisted WJE to design a full facade
restoration of the sanctuary.
This project would
require significant effort to remove existing
cast stone units from the building facades
and replace them with more than 400 new
cast stone units. WJE, Temple administrators,
congregation
members, and Joseph P. Gnazzo
Company (Gnazzo), an experienced historic
masonry contractor, collaborated
to successfully
resolve the many challenges encountered
Restoration of Historic
Temple Emanu-El
Feature
By Tara Ikenouye, AIA, CPHC
This paper was presented at the 2024 IIBEC
International Convention and Trade Show.
during construction, and the restoration was
completed three years later.

In the era when Temple Emanu-El was designed
and built, architects were experimenting with
ways to use manufactured materials such as
concrete and terra-cotta to mimic natural stone.
At that time, cast stone cladding was a more
economical material than natural stone and
could be cast to mimic the visual appearance
of traditional masonry materials. The Temple
sanctuary is designed in the stripped classical
(modern classical) style that was developing
in Europe and the United States in the early
20th century. This is a streamlined
architectural
style that retains foundational elements of
classical architecture, such as porticos, colonnades,
and domed roofs, but eliminates more decorative
aspects of traditional classical styles. Many public
and institutional buildings in the United States
and Europe were designed in this style during
this time as a physical manifestation of classical
government ideals. The Temple sanctuary consists
of a central square mass with a domed roof, and
a longer and narrower rectangular mass oriented
diagonally along the northeast to southwest axis.
There are three sets of hand-carved wood double-
doors, a four-column cast stone colonnade
forming a shallow portico, and a cast stone cornice
above the columns with an entablature carved
and gilded with the inscription “Seek Ye The Lord
And Live.”
The main entrance and return facades of the
sanctuary are clad with 4- and 8-in.-thick (102
and 203-mm-thick) cast stone units placed
in a running bond pattern with multi-wythe
structural clay tile backup walls. The typical cast
stone unit at these facades is approximately
24 in. (610 mm) tall and 36 in. (914 mm) wide.
Each unit weighs between 300 and 600 lb
(136 and 272 kg), depending on the depth of the
unit. The other facades of the sanctuary building
are primarily constructed of multi-wythe brick
masonry with cast stone coping units along
the parapet, a cast stone belt-course that wraps
around the building at the top of the facade,
and other decorative cast stone elements such
as plaques with gilded inscriptions or designs,
and two cast stone units depicting the Ten
Commandments with gilded lettering at the
center of the parapet above the main entrance.
©2024 International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC)
Figure 1. Temple Emanu-El. This photo was taken some time between 1930 and the 1950s.
SOURCE: TEMPLE EMANU-EL ARCHIVES.
20 • IIBEC Interface December 2024
Historical photographs from the time of
original construction show that the cast stone
elements of the sanctuary were not coated.
However, by 2015 when WJE was first engaged
by the Temple, coatings that had been applied
on the cast stone starting in the early 1990s
exhibited pinholes, splits, and blistering, and
were delaminating at many locations. Where
the coating was distressed or damaged, the
underlying cast stone also exhibited craze
cracking, uneven surface texture, pockets of
efflorescence,
and incipient spalls. Multiple
cast stone units at sanctuary facades had
damage from cycles of freezing and thawing
(Fig. 3 and 4). As part of the initial condition
assessment, core samples from three cast stone
units were removed for petrographic analysis.
Samples of the various coatings were also
removed to study the many layers and types of
coatings applied to the cast stone.
The petrographic analysis was used to
microscopically assess failure mechanisms,
mixture proportions, and air entrainment in
the concrete. It demonstrated that the sampled
cast stone was a wet cast mixture versus dry
tamp cast mixture, which are the two methods
to manufacture cast stone units. The mixture
was not air entrained and exhibited properties
consistent with a mixture that had a high
water-to-cement ratio. The non-air-entrained
concrete made the cast stone units more
susceptible to freeze thaw damage, which was
consistent with findings from the petrographic
study. The parallel microcracks present at the
outer end (the exterior
face of the cast stone unit)
and inner end (the face of the unit next to backup
masonry) of two sample cores were a result of
cyclic freeze-thaw deterioration (Fig. 5). Without
air voids to accommodate expansion within the
units from the pressure of ice formation during
freezing-and-thawing
cycles, the concrete
cracked. The finding that the inner end of the
core samples showed deterioration from freezing
and thawing indicated that the unit embedded
within the mass-masonry wall was experiencing
saturated conditions. This finding aligned with
overall conditions of the sanctuary facades.
Water had a pathway into to the cast stone
facades from troublesome conditions present at
the sanctuary. Sealant installed at mortar joints
had blocked water from migrating out of the
wall through these joints. The layers of coatings
that were intended to protect the cast stone
from moisture
actually trapped water within the
concrete when moisture bypassed the coating
through splits, voids, and peeling coatings.
Through-wall flashings
with short drip edges
were also sealed without weeps. As composite
mass-masonry walls, the facades of the sanctuary
Figure 2. Temple Emanu-El site plan from Sanborn Insurance Map.
Figure 3. Cast stone units at the parapet with freeze-thaw damage and coating failure.
SOURCE: CITY O SOURCE: WISS, JANNEY, ELSTNER ASSOCIATES INC. F PROVIDENCE ARCHIVES.
December 2024 IIBEC Interface • 21
were designed to manage water from rain and
snow with a cycle of absorption and release
through the cast stone and brick masonry.
However, the many added layers of coatings
effectively became a vapor barrier, and with the
sealed mortar joints, this moisture management
system was disrupted. These modifications were
causing significant
damage to the facades.
After the investigation and laboratory
analysis,
WJE presented Temple administrators and
congregants with three options to address the
conditions at the cast stone facades. These
included baseline repairs to address aesthetic
concerns and repair conditions at the facades
to prevent further water intrusion and protect
the concrete; facade overcladding;
or facade
recladding with new cast stone units. The
baseline repairs would include repointing,
new flashings, removing the existing
coatings,
completing crack and concrete repairs, replacing
some cast stone units, and installation of a new
elastomeric coating. This scope of work would
become the first of many cycles of repairs to
maintain and continue to repair the original
cast stone units where damage from prolonged
saturation and freeze-thaw cycles could not be
undone but only managed.
The overcladding option envisioned a new
mechanically fastened cladding anchored to the
backup masonry, bypassing the existing cast
stone units but leaving them in place. A thorough
structural analysis of the existing backup walls
would be required for this option. The overcladding
option also meant a major alteration to
the appearance of the historic building.
The third option, which was ultimately
selected
by the Temple, was to reclad the cast stone
facades with new cast stone units. This option
offered a pathway to address the deterioration
of the facades, reduce future maintenance
requirements, and restore the sanctuary to retain
its historic appearance. In addition to removing
existing cast stone units and replacing with
new cast stone units, this option involved full
restoration of other facade elements, including
new flashings, complete repointing of the
brick masonry facades of the sanctuary, sealant
replacement at building joints, restoration of
historic stained glass wood windows, re-gilding
decorative elements, and painting the dome.
This was the scope of the project that Temple
Emanu-El, WJE, and Gnazzo started in the spring
of 2020, as the world was grappling with the
initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The restoration project designed by WJE was
based on findings from the investigation in 2015,
and additional investigation in 2019. Without
historical
drawings, information about the as-built
construction of the sanctuary had to be collected
through fieldwork
and inspection openings. From
the inspection openings, the project team learned
that the cast stone units alternated between 4 and
8 in. (102 and 203 mm) deep. The team decided to
design new cast stone units to be 3½ in. (89 mm)
deep to allow for a ½ in. (13 mm) joint for new
adhesive anchors and grout. The expectation was
that the 8-in.-deep units would remain embedded
in the backup masonry with the outer 4 in. cleaved
off. However, once the masonry contractor started
removing cast stone units, they proposed fully
removing the 8-in.-deep units and infilling with
brick masonry (Fig. 6).
This approach was easier for the masons
and maintained the load path of the back-up
masonry wall.
The concrete mixture for the new cast stone
units reflected what the construction industry
has learned about extending the service life and
long-term performance of concrete since the first
units at the sanctuary
were cast nearly 100 years
prior. The new units were wet cast with a concrete
mixture that had 4% to 6% air entrainment in
accordance with ASTM C185, Standard Test
Figure 4. Cast stone units at the belt course with blistered and peeling coatings and efflorescence. The top and bottom photos are from 2015 and
2019, respectively.
Figure 5. This is a cross-section sample from one of the cast stone core samples. Parallel
microcracks in a cast stone sample are indicative of damage from cycles of freeze-thaw damage.
SOURCE: WISS, JANNEY, ELSTNER ASSOCIATES INC. SOURCE: WISS, JANNEY, ELSTNER ASSOCIATES INC.
22 • IIBEC Interface December 2024
Method for Air Content of Hydraulic Cement
Mortar,1 and a maximum water-to-cement ratio
of 0.35. That maximum ratio, which took into
account water added to the mixture as well
as moisture
content from the fine and coarse
aggregates, had previously demonstrated
successful resistance to freeze-thaw damage.
WJE required the cast stone manufacturer to test
the fine and coarse aggregates, in accordance
with ASTM C1260-14, Standard Test Method
for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates
(Mortar Bar Method),2 to demonstrate
that the
aggregates would not adversely react to the
cement alkalis in the concrete mixture. This
reactivity,
which is referred to as alkali-silica
reaction (ASR), results in a silica gel formed
around the aggregate and is associated with
expansion that leads to cracking of concrete.3 The
process of the cast stone manufacturer
sourcing
and testing aggregates and cement for ASR took
several months before a combination tested
within acceptable alkali-silica reactivity limits.
Some of the concrete elements of the
sanctuary facade would not be replaced but
would receive concrete
repairs and be recoated
with an elastomeric coating. Therefore, the new
cast stone units were cast with a pigmented
concrete mixture to closely match the color of
the new coating. The light-beige color selected
for both the concrete and the coating so closely
resembled the color of the coating of the old
facades that most passersby would not have
known that the extent of the restoration
at the
sanctuary involved more than new gilding and
updating of the gold-painted dome.
The cast stone units that comprised the
cornice were large and deeply embedded
in the exterior wall, and the original plan for
restoration and repair at the cornice above the
portico was primarily localized concrete repair.
However, when demolition was underway, it
became apparent that freeze-thaw damage
was widespread
in the projecting sections
of the cornice and would require extensive
concrete repair. The Temple, WJE, and Gnazzo
agreed that retaining the embedded sections
of the cornice, removing the deteriorated
concrete, and replacing the cornice with a new
glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) shell was
an appropriate option. Aesthetically, the GFRP
was a smart choice because the shell could match
the profile of the existing cornice as well as the
color of the new cast stone units and new coating.
The GFRP shell also replaced concrete, which
would have continued to deteriorate and require
regular repair.
While the ongoing deterioration of the cast
stone at the sanctuary was the main reason for
the restoration project, many other elements
of the facades were in as much need of repair.
The project budget allowed for restoration of
some of the smaller stained and colored glass
windows that were set in the cast stone sections
of the facade. The frames of these windows had
to be modified because of the placement of the
new cast stone units. Additionally, restoration
of
these windows involved wood repair, repainting,
reglazing, and installation of new exterior
storm windows.
The large, double-height-stained glass
windows that provide light into the main
sanctuary space already had protective exterior
storm windows. These were repaired and
repainted as part of this project. The Temple
planned to apply for historic preservation grant
funding so that these stained glass windows
could be restored at a future time.
In addition to wood window restoration,
the
three front entrance doors with hand-carved
surfaces were removed and carefully restored off
site. During construction, the property manager
for the Temple found one of the historic bronze
door handles in a storage room. The contractor
located a nearby foundry to mold and cast new
handles for all three doors (Fig. 7).
Elements of a facade that can be touched,
such as the Temple’s door handles, or that
can be seen from afar, like the gilded carved
designs and lettering, and the glistening
gold-painted dome, are what most people
notice when it comes to the building
restoration. That is why it was important
for this
restoration to address those features. For the
depiction of the Ten Commandments tablets
at the parapet above the main entrance, new
cast stones were cast and gilded. The three
cast stone plaques above the front doors,
the cast stone plaques at each corner of the
building, and the entablature below the new
Figure 6. The removal of cast stone units from the sanctuary facade exposed structural clay tile
back-up masonry. Note the void where 8-in.-deep (203-mm-deep) units were removed (arrow).
Figure 7. Historic door pull handle found in storage room. A mold based on this handle was used
to cast new bronze pull handles for the restored front doors.
SOURCE: T. IKENOUYE, WISS, JANNEY, E SOURCE: WISS, JANNEY, LSTNER ASSOCIATES INC.
ELSTNER ASSOCIATES INC.
December 2024 IIBEC Interface • 23
Individual donors, who contributed
to funding
for this project; volunteers, including a member
of the Temple (also an architect), who lent their
time each week for project team meetings and site
visits; members of Temple operations committees,
and Temple staff, who had with many other
responsibilities
besides this project were at the
heart of this successful project.
REFERENCES
1. ASTM International. 2020. Standard Test Method for Air
Content of Hydraulic Cement Mortar. ASTM C185-20.
West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
2. ASTM International. 2014. Standard Test Method for
Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar Bar
Method). ASTM C1260-14. West Conshohocken, PA:
ASTM International.
3. Marusin, S. L., and L. B. Shotwell. 2000. “Alkali-Silica
Reaction in Concrete Caused by Densified Silica
Fume Lumps: A Case Study.” Cement, Concrete, and
Aggregates 22 (2): 90–94.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tara Ikenouye, AIA,
CPHC, is an architect
with master’s degrees
in architecture and
historic preservation.
She is a senior associate
with Wiss, Janney,
Elstner Associates Inc.
at the Boston office.
She has performed
condition
assessments
and designed
repairs, restoration, and renovations
for many
historic buildings from the 18th, 19th, and
20th centuries. In addition to a practice in historic
preservation, Ikenouye provides enclosure
consulting services for new and existing building
projects with technical expertise in brick and
stone masonry, concrete,
windows, and roofing.
She can often be found asking questions at the
front of a historic house tour.
GFRP cornice did not have the same extent of
concrete deterioration as other areas. Therefore,
the team only had to remove the coatings on
these elements and recoat the concrete before
applying new gold-leaf gilding to the carved
designs and lettering.
The dome atop the sanctuary is constructed
of steel, metal lathe, and stucco and is clad
with flat-seam copper roofing. Many coatings
and paint had been applied to the copper over
the years. The project budget did not allow for
reroofing the dome with new copper, but the
Temple did not want to leave the dome as is, so
the team decided to repaint it. The contractor
designed and erected a creative system of rope
access so that painters were able to remove
many of the layers of paint on the dome down
to an asphaltic coating. This coating was
well-adhered to the copper and could not be
fully removed. Repainting the dome required a
specialized paint formulated for applications on
exposed architectural metal surfaces that had to
be supplied from the Midwest. WJE performed
field-adhesion testing on several primer and
paint mock-ups before a combination capable
of adhering to the substrate was determined.
Work on the dome, which was the last major
part of this project to be completed, was finished
in the fall of 2022. At this point, WJE had been
working with the Temple for seven years starting
with the first investigation in 2015. When
design for recladding with new cast stone units
and restoration of the sanctuary
facades was
completed in early 2020, the construction team
planned to start work in the spring of 2020 and
initially established a 12-month to-completion
schedule. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic
disrupted the project timeline.
With construction work stopped by local
government shutdown restrictions,
supply chain
delays, and a lack of skilled labor, the project had
many pauses and schedule resets. However, the
project was successfully completed because of
the crucial combination of an engaged client,
a pragmatic design team, and a skilled and
resourceful historic masonry contractor.
Temple
Emanu-El is a place of personal importance to
many in the congregation and community (Fig. 8).
Figure 8. The restored Temple Emanu-El with new cast stone units, a glass-fiber-reinforced
polymer cornice, and gilding completed.
TARA IKENOUYE,
AIA, CPHC
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SOURCE: WISS, JANNEY, ELSTNER ASSOCIATES INC.
24 • IIBEC Interface December 2024