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Jewish Children’s Museum Wins Building Award

by Shlomo Abraham

On May 1st, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the 2006 Brooklyn Building Awards competition. The Jewish Children’s Museum on Eastern Parkway received the award for the Arts and Culture category. The distinction noted that the museum is “an interactive, multi-media repository of cultural narratives and artifacts, as well as an urban community center that will encourage an understanding of Jewish history and culture through collective instruction and interaction.”

The annual Building Brooklyn Awards recognizes recently completed construction projects that have had a positive impact on the borough’s economy and quality of life. The Chamber of Commerce, a nine-member, independent panel of Brooklyn-based architects, planners, economic development experts and city officials select the winning projects. Projects are judged on a list of criteria including: overall aesthetic and design, positive economic impact, improving the quality of life and many others.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

The Jewish Children’s Museum was designed by celebrated architects Gwathmey, Siegel and Associates and was completed in December 2004. The building possesses a sharp, modern look that is both architecturally inspiring and extremely practical. One example is the second level, a flexible, 2,700 square foot area that alternates as a gallery, concert hall and banquet room. Gwathmey Siegel’s design invokes sustainable, contemporary materials and a high-tech infrastructure that complement the Museum’s narratives of ongoing tradition.

The Jewish Children’s Museum is recognized as revolutionary for its two floors of interactive hands-on exhibits and a third on the way to completion. The Building Brooklyn Award brings the many other innovative aspects of the museum to the forefront. These include the museum’s lower level – boasting a fully-equipped game show studio, community hall that can be configured to be up to 5 rooms, a video theater, library two computer centers – the fifth floor mini-golf terrace and the 30’ Child’s Face mosaic gracing the front of the building.

Since opening to the public 13 months ago, the Jewish Children’s Museum has been visited by more than 220,000 people from all over the world and continues to receive rave reviews from educators, parents and most importantly from children!

The museum is dedicated to the memory of Ari Halberstam, the 16 year old yeshiva student shot and killed by a terrorist on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994. The message of acceptance and universal respect in all of the Jewish Children’s Museum’s exhibits and activities are a fitting tribute to his memory.

The winning projects of the Brooklyn Building Awards will be honored July 18 at the Brooklyn Museum.

For more information visit www.jcm.museum or call 718.467.0600

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20 Comments

  • critic

    while ‘architecturally inspiring and extremely practical’ it’s very out of place with the architecture of the surrounding buidings. No considiration was given to the context in which the museum stands.

  • Proud Lubavitcher

    They deserve it!
    Been there, it’s one of a kind… maybe one of the greatest kidush Hashem/Lubavitch in our times!

    Kol Hakavod.

  • Big

    Yes, but an even bigger "kidush lubavith" would be if you could learn how to spell correctly!!

  • ich

    In my humble opinion whoever designed the exterior of this building did a horrible jod

  • a mummy

    Can’t believe the negative comments. Crown Heights has been greatly enriched by the Museum – the children have had opportunities never available to them before. Why do some people have to shtech? Say Boruch Hashem that we have great things to be proud of. Be positive … and positive things will happen.
    Well done to all the Tzivos HAshem team who truly do the Rebbe’s work.

  • critic

    It’s says in Hayom Yom ‘and you should appreciate criticism’. Nobody is knocking the idea or accomplishments of the JCM. But do we HAVE TO like the design? Does having a big chip on the shoulder a must for becoming a full fledged Lubavitcher?

  • Baruch

    Very nice how it follows the award just won by Kehos Publications for a children’s book.

    It’s about time the "world" began allowing themselves to publicly appreciate Lubavitch’s accomplishments and award them accordingly.

  • TROUBLE

    NOW THAT I FINALY SAW THE INSIDE OF THE JCH, I AGREE IT DESERVES ALL THE PRAISE IN THE WORLD

  • I luv TH

    The museum is great but whoever designed the exterior of the building did a horrible job.