Obj. ID: 16207
Jewish Architecture Jewish Old-Aged Home with synagogue in Drohobych, Ukraine
A typical Austro-Hungarian official building, the Drohobycz Old Age home which incorporates a synagogue has a central portion of 2 ½ stories flanked by two wings of a single story each. The central slightly more elaborate portion is divided into three bays with the outer two identical. On the slight base, which runs beneath the entire building, the first floor of the central pavilion has two round-headed windows --with a central one extended to a doorway-- each topped with heavy keystones. Pilasters separate the windows. Demarcating the first from the second floor is a row of three lozenges in relief, one over each window. The second story windows are smaller, square windows, the central one blind. They too are separated by pilasters. Small rectangular attic lights are in the level above them and the whole central pavilion is surmounted by a strong cornice, above which the peak of the roof appears. Plasterwork quoins mark the edges of the central portion and their pattern is repeated by the rustication of the flanking wings.
Significantly lower, the flanking wings each have four equally-spaced triangular headed windows, each surmounted in turn by a small attic light. This continues around the sides and the back, where, because of the slope of the land, the windows appear to be higher. Though still visually predominant, the rear of the central bay is treated far less monumentally: though the round-headed window surmounted by a square window motif is repeated, the decorative plasterwork which renders the front facade so impressive is lacking. A railed porch connects the interior walls of the wings with the central pavilion.
The interior layout is rather confused, with a number of rooms joining one another with no clear organizational scheme. The synagogue, marked visually on the exterior, is now the study room of the library to which the building has been converted. The central doorway has been closed off --entrance is now gained from the side door. A small women’s gallery still remains.
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