1 6 ▁Inga ▁S aff ron , ▁architecture ▁critic ▁for ▁The ▁Philadelphia ▁In qu ir er , ▁called ▁the ▁temple ▁" the ▁most ▁radical ▁work ▁of ▁architecture ▁built ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁in ▁a ▁half - century ▁... ▁because ▁it ▁d ares ▁to ▁be ▁so ▁out ▁of ▁step ▁with ▁today ' s ▁design ▁sens ib ilities ▁and ▁our ▁bottom - line ▁culture ." ▁Est im ating ▁its ▁cost ▁as ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁million , ▁she ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁temple ▁was ▁" the ▁real ▁classical ▁deal " ▁and ▁" a ▁bold ▁inc urs ion ▁into ▁the ▁hier arch ical ▁fabric ▁of ▁Philadelphia ". ▁S aff ron ▁pra ised ▁the ▁interior ▁wood work ▁as ▁" exception al " ▁and ▁approved ▁of ▁the ▁exterior ▁rep lic ating ▁the ▁nearby ▁Family ▁Court ▁building , ▁" the ▁last ▁truly ▁satisfying ▁ne oc lass ical ▁design ". ▁She ▁critic ized ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁put ▁the ▁front ▁door ▁on ▁ 1 7 th ▁Street , ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁temple ▁" turn s ▁its ▁back ▁on ▁Log an ▁Square . ▁It ▁occup ies ▁this ▁important ▁civ ic ▁space ▁without ▁being ▁a ▁real ▁particip ant ". ▁S aff ron ▁also ▁dis lik ed ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁L DS ▁chap el ▁next ▁door , ▁describing ▁the ▁Robert ▁A . ▁M . ▁Stern - des igned ▁building ▁as ▁" st range ▁... ▁a ▁squ ashed ▁cup ca ke ▁with ▁a ▁giant ▁cand le ▁stuck ▁on ▁top ", ▁with ▁a ▁" ba ff ling " ▁d rain age ▁d itch ▁on ▁V ine