Picture of the former New Synagogue, now the Northern School of Contemporary Dance on Chapletown Rd, Leeds.Adjacent to the catholic church of the Holy Rosary on Chapletown road is the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Long before its recent use by the NSCD the building was built as a synagogue. Designed by Stanley Wright & Clay, of Albion street, the New Synagogue was opened in 1932. Back then there was a Jewish population in the Chapletown area, later many had moved further out from the city centre and by the mid 1960 attendance at the New Synagogue had dwindled, it closed in 1985.
The former New Synagogue building is very distinctive, in a Byzantine style with a large dome.
Bought by Leeds city council the building later became the home of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Today this striking building now rightly listed as Grade II remains as a testament to those of the Jewish faith who lived and indeed still live today in the city.
On the left in the above can be seen the church of the Holy Rosary. I rather tweaked the colour on this photo, on the day I took it last spring it was rather a dull day.
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I was telling myself what an interesting architecture for a dance school... and really it is. Well, at least I now know its history.
ReplyDeleteHow nice that the building is reused. I'm guessing that it was not so colorful when it was a synagogue. It looks like quite an interesting and lively place.
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