Peter Cohen's house at East Hampton, by Jaffe.
Norman Jaffe, a very prolific Long Island architect and resident who left an amazing body of work behind when he disappeared swimming in the ocean at Bridgehampton in 1993, is without a doubt one of our favorite architects in New York.
Among his most visible pieces of work is the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, formerly the Gates of the Grove Synagogue.
Grove Synagogue, by Jaffe.
A fantastic example of his style and aesthetic, the project was completed in 1987 and would become the pinnacle of his career.
The experience of building the synagogue made Jaffe rediscover his Jewish faith. And this journey of religious reawakening is on display in this building and the rest of his work.
Interiors of the Grove Synagogue, by Jaffe.
The Grove Synagogue makes passer-byes want to stop and investigate a little more. With cedar shingles on the facade and yellow cedar plank-covered walls, the Synagogue is a place for solemn meditation. “One of its purposes is to release our minds from clinging to an image or images once custodial preventing the presence of the consciousness which is beyond comprehension,” wrote Jaffe in his rationale for the project. Its huge monumental arches are highlighted by the negative spaces of the windows.
Some of Jaffe’s less visible works are equally as exciting, all so great that it’s hard to choose which to talk about.
Raynes house, Southampton, 1985.
Lloyd’s house, built in East Hampton in 1977 on a relatively tight lot, looks like an Aztec pyramid.
Lloyds house, built in 1977 in East Hampton, by Jaffe.
Its oblique-angled walls appear to be pushing up from the ground while the monolithic plenum and roof seem to keep the building weighted down. And its interior spaces are tight and labyrinthine.
Lloyds house, with its oblique walls, by Jaffe.
The Karram house feels like a subterranean shelter with portals to the outside world only accessible through the skylights, perched on top of the stonewalls.
Exterior of the Karram house, built in 1978, Jaffe.
The interiors of all of Jaffe’s projects are, needless to say, fantastic. As a formula, the Long Island architect and resident tended to repeat the use of his exterior materials on the interiors. “Engage the air with your roof form. Trap the sky, hold and release,” Jaffe wrote in the rationale for his Turetsky house. “The sky itself [is] the ultimate transparency.”
Interiors of the Karram house, 1978.
The boldness of Jaffe’s design was geared to a type of client who had made his/her fortune in the most embattled arenas of capitalism, and restraint was clearly out of the question.
Peter Cohen's house, interior.
Thus the grandiosity of his interiors, always delivered in monumental proportions.
Peter Cohen's house, interiors.
The Turetsky house is a unique project. It was built in 1977 for Dr. Martin Turetsky in the estate section of Old Westbury. It is also a fantastic twist on his usual style. Jaffe began with the same kind of stone perimeter he had used for the Lloyds House, but opened it up with a looser plan.
Turetsky house with pool house, 1977.
Turetsky’s was inspired by Le Corbusier’s Ronchamp, and Japanese temples.
Le Corbusier's Ronchamp.
The cantilevered roofs create beautiful awnings with their gentle up sweep towards the sky.
Turetsky's pool house.
Jaffe was an analyst of the materials he used. Cedar siding evokes some aspects of Asian architecture. When asked by an associate what style was he working in this time, Jaffe responded: “Jewish Chinese.”