The facades of the building have three tiers, visually subdivided into a lower one and two upper ones.  The lower tier is framed by upper and lower window sill cornices, whereas the windows of the second and third tiers are enclosed within common round-arched niches, which unite them as single high windows.  The socle on the lower part of the facades is underlined by a horizontal moulding and the facades are topped by a moulded entablature with a crest consisting of triple dove tail motifs.  The facades are divided vertically into sections by pilaster-strips, which reflect the interior organization of the space.  Each pilaster-strip is surmounted by a turret decorated with pointed blind horseshoe arches, topped by a small onion-shaped finial surrounded by crests, and finished with a spire.

Fig. 4. Computer reconstruction, northwest view.

The west, main facade (figs. 4-7) is composed of a central section flanked by two tower-like side projections.  In its centre, there is a shallow stepped round arch supported by two columns on plinths, it frames a wide decorated door, and above it – a large triple horseshoe-arched window, surmounted by the tracery of an eight-pointed star.  The spandrels are covered by decorative ceramic tiles.  The arch is flanked by a pair of twin round-arched windows on the first tier and by a pair of round windows with a tracery of a five-pointed star surrounded by a decoration panel on the second tier.  The panels flanking the spandrel are also covered by ceramic decorative tiles.

The side tower projections each has a decorated door surmounted by a decorative panel on the first tier and a round-arched niche, which unites the twin windows of the second and third tiers.  Below the second tier, the twin window has pointed arches.  On the third tier there is a twin horseshoe window with a small round window above; under each window there is a decorative sunken panel.

In the centre of the facade above the main arch and cornice arch, is a round-arched Tablets of the Law.

Fig. 5. West facade (Zachariewicz, plate 30).

Fig. 7. Computer reconstruction, southwest view.

Fig. 6. Computer reconstruction, west facade.

The north and south side facades (figs. 8-10) are similar.  On each, the narrower western volume is divided by pilaster-strips into two parts.  Both parts have twin round-arched windows on the lower tier and a round-arched niche which encloses the windows of the second and third tiers.  The third tier of the westernmost part is topped by a rosette window with a tracery of two interlacing six-pointed stars, and the twin window on the second tier has truncated pointed arches.  The panel under the rosette window is covered with ceramic decorative tiles as on the west facade.

The second part of this volume has a similar window arrangement, except that instead of the rosette window on the third tier, there is a twin horseshoe window with a round window above, similar to those on the west facade.

The facades of the eastern prayer hall volume are divided by pilaster-strips into three parts.  The side parts each have a round window with a six-pointed star sash on the first tier, and a composition of twin horseshoe windows above twin truncated pointed arch windows on the two upper tiers, resembling the window units mentioned above.  The central part has three windows on each tier.  On the first tier, all twin windows are round-arched.  On the second and third tiers, a central niche encloses triple windows: truncated pointed-arched on the second and horseshoe-arched on the third tier, with three small round windows above.  This central window unit is flanked by two similar ones, consisting of truncated pointed-arched twin windows on the second tier and a rosette window above a decorated panel on the third.

Fig. 8. Side (south) facade (Zachariewicz, plate 29).

Fig. 9. Computer reconstruction, central part of the north facade.

Fig. 12. The Temple, southwest view. Coloured postcard, early 20th century.

Fig. 14. West view. Postcard, early 20^th century.

The eastern volume of the building is made up of a prayer hall with an apse, surrounded on the north, south and west by two women's galleries on the second and third floors (figs. 2, 3). The apse is flanked by a pair of auxiliary rooms on each of the three floors. In the western volume, there are two vestibules preceding two auxiliary rooms on the first floor, a high room on the second floor, and two staircases leading to the women's galleries on the second and third floors.

The prayer hall is a broad-house (20.5 m on 16.5 m), entered from the western vestibule through three wide doors (fig. 6).  It is surrounded on the west, south and north sides by two floors of women's galleries, supported by twin iron columns and by two clusters of four iron columns in the corners (fig. 23). The columns of the upper gallery support horseshoe arches, three on each side (fig. 22).  These arches form the square, on which the octagon is based, and from which spring four blind pointed arches alternating with four pointed squinches (fig. 3). These support a cylindrical drum with 16 windows, on which the slightly curved inner shell of the dome is laid (fig. 18).

In the east side of the hall a large semi-circular arch is supported by two side columns and imposts.  This arch opens to an elongated apse with a raised floor, covered by a flat dome.  The Torah ark is situated inside the apse.  Four steps lead from the hall to the apse, and on the apse's edge stands a raised pulpit which faces the hall.  Probably, the pulpit was used as a bimah, thus the Torah was read facing the hall and not the Torah ark, as was customary in Reform congregations (fig. 17).

Fig. 16. Latitudinal section, view towards east (Zachariewicz, plate 32).

Fig. 17. Computer reconstruction, interior view towards east (pulpit and Torah Ark).

Fig. 18. Longitudinal section, view towards north (Zachariewicz, plate 31).

The Torah ark (figs, 17, 19-21) is a stone tripartite structure situated in the eastern part of the apse and screening it with its whole width. The central section, higher than the sides, is square in plan and comprises the ark for the Torah scrolls, to which three steps are leading. The facade presents a portal with two attached columns and a blind trefoil arch above the architraves.  In its centre, the Tetragramaton is written in a depiction of the sun.  The inner surface of the arch and its spandrels are covered with floral decorations; in the frieze above it is written in Hebrew: "Know before whom you are standing" (Pirkei Avot 3:1).  The side sections are portals with two attached columns supporting blind horseshoe arches with decorative panels.  All sections are topped by floral crests.

Fig. 19. The Torah ark, coloured drawing by Sal. Zalter (Historical Museum in Cracow, The Old Synagogue Department).

The seats (fig. 2) in the central part of the hall, as well as under the west gallery and under the western parts of the south and north galleries are facing east, towards the Torah ark and pulpit; the seats under the eastern parts of side galleries are facing the centre of the hall.  The seats in the galleries are placed on gradually raised wooden steps.   The seating arrangement allowed all the people in the hall a view of the pulpit and the Torah ark, as was requested in the conditions for the building (Zachariewicz, p. 49).

All the surfaces of the walls and arches, the balustrades of the galleries and capitals of columns were richly decorated with neo-Moorish motifs.  The surfaces of the main dome and of the dome above the apse were decorated by geometrical patterns of interlacing polygons and many small six-pointed stars, and the squinches were each decorated by a conch (figs. 3, 16, 18, 24).

Fig. 20. Computer reconstruction, interior view towards east from the women's gallery.

Fig. 22. Computer reconstruction, interior view towards west.

Fig. 21. Computer reconstruction, interior view towards east from the women's gallery.

Fig. 23. Computer reconstruction, interior view towards northwest (women's galleries) from the southern women's gallery.

Fig. 24. Interior view after the fire of 1941 (Pinkas hakehilot: Romania, vol. 2, p. 505).

Fig. 25. South view after the fire of 1941 (Gold, vol. 2, p. 217).