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  • Riverside Memorial Chapel

    Founded in 1897, this venerable Jewish funeral chapel opened in its landmark Neo-French-Renaissance building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1927.

    Commissioned to renew the building, BFA’s work involved the restoration of the 4-story building’s exterior masonry, metalwork, and windows, extensive upgrading of mechanical and electrical systems, modernizing back-of-house facilities, and restoration of principal interior spaces. Careful paint analysis was undertaken to determine and restore original color schemes. The new multi-scene lighting of the main Gothic Chapel involved the creative retrofitting of historic fixtures and the subtle introduction of sophisticated new architectural lighting. Back-lighting the restored stained glass windows added a beautiful nighttime feature to the building’s Amsterdam Avenue facade.

    Chapel leaders describe the venue as “revered for its majestic architecture and ornate interiors which have been masterfully renovated.”

    1995 International Association of Lighting Designers Award (with Ann Kale Associates)
    1995 Illuminating Engineering Society of New York City Lumen Citation (with Ann Kale Associates)

Riverside Memorial Chapel

New York, NY

Riverside Memorial Chapel

Founded in 1897, this venerable Jewish funeral chapel opened in its landmark Neo-French-Renaissance building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1927.

Commissioned to renew the building, BFA’s work involved the restoration of the 4-story building’s exterior masonry, metalwork, and windows, extensive upgrading of mechanical and electrical systems, modernizing back-of-house facilities, and restoration of principal interior spaces. Careful paint analysis was undertaken to determine and restore original color schemes. The new multi-scene lighting of the main Gothic Chapel involved the creative retrofitting of historic fixtures and the subtle introduction of sophisticated new architectural lighting. Back-lighting the restored stained glass windows added a beautiful nighttime feature to the building’s Amsterdam Avenue facade.

Chapel leaders describe the venue as “revered for its majestic architecture and ornate interiors which have been masterfully renovated.”

1995 International Association of Lighting Designers Award (with Ann Kale Associates)
1995 Illuminating Engineering Society of New York City Lumen Citation (with Ann Kale Associates)