For the past few months, during nightly dog walks I've been passing an under-renovation place on Crosby Street with a big sign that said "Coming Soon: SoHo Synagogue." Last month they finally took the paper off the glass, revealing a very modern, barcode-like pattern on the windows that I wouldn't expect of a religious institution. I wondered if it would be similarly design-ey inside.

Now I know. Turns out it's none other than Studio Dror that was behind the design, and the interior is even cooler than the facade.

A glass table with QuaDror feet mans the reception area, and the below-ground sanctuary area is a classic SoHo, beautifully raw industrial space made stylishly warmer with Edison bulbs.

Those paneled paintings on the walls? They're not just art: They can be individually removed and unfolded into chairs or tables.

Even the Star of David gets the design treatment, slickly sliding open to reveal the Torah. (And yep, those are the Cappellini-produced, Dror-designed Peacock Chairs flanking the altar.)

At press time the project was not yet on Dror's site, but you can read more about the Synagogue here.