Every building has its own story. It drifts through the river of time — growing, fading, transforming. Its evolution is unique, recording its history and revealing it to anyone who looks on. Time is not to be tempered with, and so, in drafting our restoration plan, we chose to go with the flow and write a new chapter in its life.

This idea guided us throughout the design process. By inserting new, materially unified architectural forms into the existing body of the synagogue, we aim to highlight the authenticity of the preserved original elements and structures, while clearly marking a new layer in the building’s ongoing narrative. Elements that could not be saved — yet are essential to the function and identity of the building — have also been reinterpreted using the same material language as the new additions.

In doing so, we enrich the synagogue with what could be seen as “ghosts” of its past—forms that help recover the spatial memory of what once was, without mimicking the historical authenticity of what remains.

The synagogue in Svätý Jur, located between Mikovíniho and Pezinská Streets, has a layered history dating back to the 16th century. Originally a noble manor, it was converted into a synagogue in 1789, reconstructed after a fire in 1869, and remained in use until 1942. Following wartime looting and the dissolution of the local Jewish community, it fell into private hands. Today, it stands as one of Slovakia’s oldest surviving synagogues and is notably linked to the renowned rabbi Chatam Sofer.

Our design treats the restoration as the continuation of the building’s story—adding new, materially unified forms that distinguish themselves from the original while respecting its authenticity. These additions, made primarily of brushed metal, act as quiet echoes of lost elements, enhancing rather than imitating the historic fabric.

Along the courtyard’s longitudinal axis, we have installed rotating walls and a pavilion, allowing for spatial flexibility. A meditative pavilion sits between the central projection and the original fencing. We also reinstated access to the second floor via a new staircase at the former women’s entrance. These new elements — rotating walls, pavilion, and stair railing — share a unified material finish of brushed metal.

The synagogue’s well-preserved façade was restored to its late 19th-century state. On the southern façade, we exposed an older masonry layer linked to the adjacent building, now reconnected to the synagogue, opening it toward Mikovíniho Street. On the eastern side, the outline of a former roof has been echoed using translucent polycarbonate panels, forming a ghost-like volume referencing the lost structure.

Inside, a new elevator in the central projection ensures barrier-free access. The former prayer hall now serves as a multifunctional space, with the Torah niche preserved as a tribute to the building’s sacred past, containing a symbol of the eternal light. Reopened wall openings connect the hall to an adjacent building repurposed into a café, accessible from Mikovíniho Street.

The former women’s gallery was rebuilt in a contrasting material expression, clad in brushed metal like the courtyard elements. From the hall, it stands apart from the original structure, while from above, it reflects its original function. The second floor now hosts a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Jewish community and Chatam Sofer, with the gallery railing made of timber handrails and posts, referencing the original form.

A fragment of the original ceiling, preserved in the southern section, was fully restored. Elsewhere, we introduced a perforated brushed metal ceiling inspired by the original painted design. A diffusive membrane and concealed lighting above the panels transform the perforations into subtle, integrated illumination.