A worship space speaks loudest when it’s empty. The first moment I stepped into the sanctuary of La Tourette it was the deafening silence that struck me. Empty and dark—barely illuminated by the sun. Silence and light. This was the way I encountered Agudas Achim by Lake | Flato. The Rabbi left us alone in the silence. I don’t want to equate Agudas Achim with La Tourette’s spartan beton brut rawness. The space itself is rich, welcoming and comfortable. Silky smooth concrete, and steel painted with a dark warm french gray is furthered warmed up with oak paneled infill and furnishings. I found the steering of daylight equally as impressive as the silence. Filtering in through side slits, overhead orifices and modulated through the layers of stair & sloped balcony the space is not dark, not bright, but just right. Layers of light, pools of light, and wonderful silence. The space incarnates the spirit of Louis Kahn. His palette of concrete and wood. His idea: silence and light. I’m reminded of a favorite passage….”And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood.