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The skillful restoration of New York's Central Synagogue after a devastating fire in 1998 is what Hugh Hardy, of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer, calls ``interpretive.'' Most of the intricate elements of the ornate Moorish-style building designed by Henry Fernbach in 1872 have been faithfully returned to their original state. Since the fire destroyed everything above the clerestory windows, the roof's timber trusses were rebuilt, and the red and dark gray slate shingles reinstated. Gold leaf has been reapplied to the finials, ribs, and decorative bands of the onion domes, while two smaller copper finials--not in evidence since 1920--were reconstructed. Inside, artisans reconstructed plasterwork and floor tiles, restored black walnut and ash wainscoting and woodwork, and masterfully painted elaborate stenciled patterns on the walls, ceiling, and cast-iron columns. The new walnut and ash pews are now angled along the sides of the sanctuary; the floor level of the entrance vestibule was lowered, and a multipurpose room was created downstairs.