Named for the Katz Family (Ronald Katz, Dana and Todd Katz, and Kathy and Randall Katz), Stephen Wise Temple’s Katz Family Pavilion is the striking centerpiece to an unparalleled mountaintop campus, and has become one of the premier event venues in Los Angeles since its completion in 2017.
Built by Lehrer Architects L.A., the award-winning multi-purpose building is celebrating its fifth year in operation in 2022. It offers a flexible indoor-outdoor space perfect for events ranging from black-tie galas to basketball games, from worship services to summer camp activities.
Erected on the former site of Hershenson Hall, Katz Family Pavilion is the centerpiece of an open and vibrant indoor/outdoor space that includes Nahmias Plaza, Shalom Garden, the Goodman Entry Plaza, Ruby Meadow, and the Bram Stage. Together, they have become the heart of the Wise campus: a place to play, create, recreate, gather, and celebrate.
Katz Family Pavilion’s majestic stretched roof captures and controls the sun’s light both inside and out, while its angular roofline frames the campus and points toward Jerusalem. The four bi-fold glass doors open up onto Nahmias Plaza, giving events the option for additional outdoor seating and allowing for a dynamic event space for bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, conferences, movie nights, and more.
Fast Facts About Katz Family Pavilion
Along with hosting Wise’s athletic teams on its full-size basketball court (donated by the Bider family) with retractable hoops and backboards, Katz Family Pavilion also houses office space and the Levine Yoga Studio.
The bi-fold glass doors (each 29 feet high, and 20 feet long) that make up the northern façade open fully to allow the prevailing northwest wind to flow in, providing natural ventilation. In fact, with the doors open, Los Angeles County considers Katz Family Pavilion an outdoor space.
Katz Family Pavilion can seat up to 450 guests, while Nahmias Plaza and Shalom Garden can seat up to 250.
A Sustainable Venue
Katz Family Pavilion utilizes glazed walls, bi-fold doors, skylights, and clerestory to provide light during the day. It meets or exceeds green standards set forth in California Energy Code Title 24 (the Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings), and the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen).
Katz Family Pavilion, Nahmias Plaza, and Shalom Garden utilize a sand-based rootzone, capillary collectors which distribute water vertically on an as-needed basis, reducing water used for irrigation by 70%. This system, called EPIC, is fed by storm water.
Awards
Katz Family Pavilion has won multiple design and architecture awards since its construction.
In 2021, it received the prestigious Award for Excellence in Design from The American Institute of Architects-Los Angeles, along with the Merit Award from the Southern California Development Forum.
Other awards include:
- 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Design and Construction, Los Angeles Business Council
- 2018 Best of the Year, Interior Design Magazine
- 2019 Award for New Facilities, The American Institute of Architects
- 2019 Award for New Facilities, Faith and Form Magazine
- 2019 Award for New Facilities, Interfaith Design
- 2020 Westside Prize Citation, Westside Urban Forum
Katz Family Pavilion made possible by a community of generous benefactors
Katz Family Pavilion, Nahmias Plaza, Ruby Meadow, and Shalom Garden were all made possible by the vision and donations of Wise families.
