The synagogue built by Gottfried Semper in 1838 was destroyed in the Night of Broken Glass on 9 November 1938. The only original part of the old Semper building is the saved Star of David in the entrance area of the new building. The new synagogue, a modern building between the Carolabrücke and the Brühlscher Terrasse, was consecrated on 9 November 2001.

The building of today's synagogue is made of sandstone-coloured moulded stone and is divided into three areas: the actual synagogue - a tall building turned towards the east - and the community hall. In between is an open space on which the ground plan of the Sempersynagogue is drawn with broken glass. In summer 2002, the synagogue was awarded the title of "best building in Europe" at the 21st World Congress of Architecture.