Emanuel Congregation, celebrating its 140th year as a Reform synagogue, is located on the Edgewater lakefront. The current Modernist stone building dates to 1954, and has been adapted and renovated over time with the goal of creating a welcoming environment. The sanctuary, which houses an ark designed by artist Edgar Miller, received an award-winning remodel by Ross Barney + Jankowski in 2001, which added movable translucent wall panels and sails hung from the ceiling. A round chapel, originally built as a fortress against an impending northward extension of Lake Shore Drive that never happened, was opened up to stunning lake views in a 2013 renovation.
