Mosque design breaks the shackles of the past
Photo: Exteriorof Sancaklar mosque in the Buyukcekmece district of Istanbul, Turkey, designed by award-winning Emre Arolat Architects. Aivita Arika/Shutterstock.com
Designers in the Middle East are pushing the boundaries of mosque architecture to create structures that are relevant and serve their function more effectively, while regulations play catch-up.
By deconstructing the elements of mosque architecture, urban planners and designers are rethinking mosque design to create contemporary structures that are socially functional, environmentally friendly and true to the local vernacular, with an emphasis on the spiritual and social experience rather than architectural specifics.
“Mosques are seen as a physical representation of faith,” said Shams Eldien Naga, principal at Naga Architects, who traces the presence of the sahn, a square defined by an arrangement of walls and/or arches as the most essential architectural element of mosque design. The sahn is defined from its function in Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) house, which is considered the first mosque.
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Shalini Seth, White Paper Media