A Grand Mosque and Medina

A G R A N D M O S Q U E A N D M ED INA FO R M E T R O D E T R O I T

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A G RA ND M O S Q U E A ND M E D INA FO R M E T R O D E T R O I T

Curated by: Alexander J. Hokkanen & Salma Umar Teekay

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AC KNO WL E DG ME NTS

Congregants Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini Najah Bazzy Shakir W. Alkhafaji Azzam Elder Ramzi Chammout

City of Detroit Maurice Cox, Director of Planning & Development Mallak Beydoun, Mayor Duggan’s Office

University of Michigan Professor Douglas Kelbaugh

CO NT ENTS

chapter one

foreword

research

t he st u dio

00 5

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site history 013 mosque design 015 materials & energy 017 flora & fauna 019

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chapte r t wo

c h a pter three

chap ter four

chapter five

chapte r s ix

th e minarets

the crescent s

data

concl u s ion

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10 9

s i te p l an

site plan

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d i a grams

d iagrams

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m o sq ue

mosque

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s ouk

souk

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re c reation

recreat ion

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foreword the site

FO R E W O R D

This extraordinary design studio, like many good things in life, started accidentally. I happened on a whim to show Maurice Cox some images of a contemporary mosque that I designed in Dubai. Maurice, newly installed as Detroit’s Director of Planning and Development, was shortly thereafter asked by Mayor Duggan to look at an open 30 acre site on the western edge of the City, as the potential site for a grand mosque.

Some influential members of the Arab-American community, centered in contiguous Dearborn, had shown interest in building a new large mosque.

Indeed, the aspiration was for a small Arabian town center, complete with an Islamic seminary, social events facility, a commercial medina and souk, as well as a major recreation center and soccer stadium. The vision for the medina includes several Middle Eastern ethnic restaurants, a halal market, shops, offices, an inn, and housing - all with an intimate scale and organic pattern reminiscent of traditional souks and bazaars.

The studio’s “client” was a group led by Imam Qazwini, This team of leading members of the congregation, along with Maurice, mentored us through the 15-week project, advising on program, urban design and architecture. The congregation informally describes its version of Islam as “sushi,” denoting a flexible blend of Sunni and Shia branches. This hybridity manifests itself by having the entrances and prayer hall shared by male and female worshipers, unlike the separate, screened entrances for females in traditional mosques. They are also active with young people, and with interfaith initiatives in metro Detroit.

The mosque is to be large, hopefully the largest in North America, befitting the most populous Arab community outside of the Middle East. At the request of the Imam, it is domed, although not purely spherical. The building is oriented to face Mecca, which is ironically to the northeast, due to the great circle geometry, with which all air travelers are familiar.

On the entrance side of the prayer hall are facilities for storing shoes and coats, and for doing obligatory ablutions prior to worship. On the Mecca side of the hall is the prayer wall, with the mihrab alcove at its center, and a minbar podium for the Imams to speak. Connected by corridors or

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colonnades are the Islamic seminary, the Imam’s home, event spaces for weddings and other large gatherings, offices, museum, gift shop, etc., as well as outdoor area for overflow prayer space on important religious days.

The medina has both covered and open air shopping and dining, with a variety of passages that are both wide and narrow, and gathering places both small and large. Restaurants from different Arab countries are plentiful, and there is hookah lounge, in the alcohol-free development.

Parking for both the Medina and mosque is accommodated on the site’s western edge, in a large two-story parking garage with shops lining part of its ground level.

The sports complex includes a recreation center, complete with gym, swimming, running track, exercise/weight-lifting space, kids’ area, cafe, and even a climbing wall in one scheme. There are outdoor soccer fields for all age groups and basketball courts. Either connected, or sited separately, is a regulation size soccer field, with grandstands, concession stands, restrooms and night lighting - suitable for high school and collegiate games. Surface parking is located nearby, and can be shared with the mosque.

FOREWORD

The site is near Detroit’s western boundary. It has formidable constraints: it stretches about a half mile north to south, with a busy, noisy freeway on its western edge, which has a one-way service road abutting it. The east side is open land, laid out for the second phase of a large HOPE VI housing project. The northern edge – Joy Road - is an arterial strip, with spotty auto-oriented commercial buildings. The south side is a residential street,

DOUGLAS KELBAUGH

The whole studio collaborated for the first month on urban design, investigating a variety of programs and site strategies. Then the students subdivided into smaller and smaller teams, ending up with two teams, each of which had three sub-teams of two students, focusing on the mosque, the medina or the sports complex. Fortuitously, there were two Muslim students in the studio - one on each team - that helped with religious and cultural questions.

with a public school.

The two teams took similar approaches to developing the 30 acres. Both placed the medina on the north end, to take advantage of the commercial nature of Joy Road, and its better vehicular access to the site. The mosque and minarets, both teams agreed, make sense in the middle of the site, next to the mosque complex, and where there is high visibility from the thousands of freeway vehicles. The sports complex seemed logical to place on the south end, as it’s a more independent facility that is less dependent on the mosque and medina.

The students’ tireless work, collaborating within their teams and competing between teams produced highly developed, eminently workable yet inspiring schemes. The respective programs were thoroughly studied and refined over the entire semester. The balancing of old and new cultures, traditional with contemporary architecture resulted in the blending of a sort of a “sushi” environmental atmosphere befitting the congregation’s ethic.

This project seems eminently worthy of pursuing proactively for its benefits as a local, metro and national center. It could be a timely and poignant reminder to this country, the land of religious freedom and social diversity.

We hope our efforts, as vivified in this booklet, will serve to make the Mosque a local and national Islamic spiritual center, the Medina a bustling metro commercial and civic center, the Recreation Center a hub of family activities, and the Soccer Center a thriving athletic venue. We wish the Muslim community, with the generous help of the City of Detroit, the best of luck in realizing this dream in beautiful, concrete ways. We were honored and delighted to play a part in the further conceptualization and the planning and design of this exciting project.

Fingers crossed,

Doug Kelbaugh FAIA Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning and former Dean Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning University of Michigan

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FOREWORD

DOUGLAS KELBAUGH

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chapter one research

S I T E H I STO RY A ND S U R RO UNDINGS

Built in 1943, the Herman Gardens’ public housing community was once a healthy bustling community with more than 2,100 apartment units. Located in northwest Detroit on approximately 139 acres, Herman Gardens was, at one time, the public housing “Community of Choice”, but over the years it became one of the most distressed communities in the Detroit Housing Commission’s portfolio. The former resident population was also one of the poorest of DHC’s communities and the property had one of the highest crime rates.

After over a decade of planning, the first phase of the 607-unit, mixedincome development named Gardenview Estates was opened on the former site of Herman Gardens on September 2, 2009.

Today, there are many fast food restaurants, auto services and liquor stores in the area as well as a few grocery stores and barbers. The site and immediate surroundings have been earmarked for HOPE VI housing, the first phase of which is in place.

The development of the new Islamic hub hopes to spur positive development in the region restoring it to its former glory.

Top: Historic Progression of the site (Left to right: Plan of Herman Gardens, View of Herman Gardens, Plan of Gardenview Estates) Middle: Existing commercial, retail and restaurants in the immediate neighborhood Bottom: Building Types in the surrounding area

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ACCESSORIES APARTMENTS EDUCATIONAL RELIGIOUS NURSING GOVERNMENTA

SITE HISTORY

HOUSES

L RETAIL TRADE

RESEARCH

AUTO SERVICES RECREACTION RESTAURANT

M O S Q U E DE S I G N

Hypostyle mosque • A rectangular hypostyle, usually in wood and earth block or brick, with a flat roof • Started off as the Prophet’s house in Medina, a simple courtyard with rooms on two sides • In 707 CE, the caliph replaced it with a new building with minarets added as visual markers or to carry the adhān (call for prayer) • Originated in the Arabian Peninsula • Most dominant form from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries and has not significantly altered over the ages Iwan mosque • Mosque with four iwans; Off one iwan is the prayer hall • Traditional vault-and-dome building was used to develop iwans, or vaulted open porches, encompassed by a giant portal (pishtaq) arranged around a central courtyard • Developed from the indigenous Iranian building used for houses, madrasahs, and caravansaries • Occurs mainly in Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan Central Plan mosque • Large central domed space without columns • Pencil-thin minarets at the building’s corners • Has become the dominant model for contemporary architecture • Developed by the Ottomans (1281–1922) in Anatolia. The origins of this form lie in the Byzantine centralized basilica plan of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (then Constantinople) Indian mosque • A wide rectangular prayer hall covered with triple domes, a courtyard with a pool of water surrounded by colonnades, and a monumental entrance; Varied in scale • Developed by the Imperial Moguls (1526–1828) • Building material in the Indo-Pakistani subcontinent was mainly brick, and construction techniques and decorative schemes combined the Persian and Hindu traditions Contemporary mosques • Mosque design is undergoing a “globalizing” influence in terms of using elements thought to be normative. The dome and the minaret have become the desirable symbols for the mosque, leading to the neglect of regional architectural traditions.

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Central Plan Mosque Top: Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey Bottom: Typical Plan

Shah Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan

Indian Mosque Top: Jami Masjid, Delhi, India Bottom: Typical Plan

Mosque by Douglas Kelbaugh, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Top: Parts of a mosque Upper Middle: Historic typology of mosques

MOSQUE DESIGN

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco

Iwan Mosque Top: Masjid-i Shah, Isfahan, Iran Bottom: Typical Plan

Lower Middle: Contemporary mosques Bottom: Traditional Islamic decoration and calligraphy

RESEARCH

Hypostyle Mosque Top: Umayyad Great Mosque, Damascus, Syria Bottom: Typical Plan

M ATE RI AL , WATE R , A ND E NE RGY CONSE R VATION

Sustainability in material use, on-site energy production and water conservation were driving forces in both team’s thought processes from the project’s inception. Several metrics exist to measure sustainability, and here in the United States LEED (the U.S. Green Building Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”) is most common.

LEED defines regional materials as building components that originate less than five hundred miles from the site. In the case of this site materials can come from much of Ontario, Canada to the north, Tennessee and the Carolinas to the south, and Minnesota to the west.

More widely known photovoltaic panels will be deployed throughout the site to offset energy from the grid that may not be produced using sustainable sources. Many of the buildings proposed on the site are oriented to allow for easy installation and maximum energy gain from either photovoltaics or solar thermal technologies.

Solar collectors are used not for electricity production but for heating water for use inside buildings. Programs like ablutions in the mosque and locker rooms in the Recreation Center will use a large quantity of hot water. This system provides hot water throughout the winter months.

The management of storm water is prioritized by creating detention and retention ponds all over the site. These ponds serve not only to manage the site’s rainfall but also enhance its aesthetic and environmental impact.

Due to the heavy use of water in the ablutions process, the water used in the washing of hands and feet is reclaimed and cleaned through reed beds within the site.

Top: The LEED prescribed “regional” radius of 500 miles for material acquisition Middle: Water trickling through the reed bed is cleaned by microorganisms living in the root system and is used for the treatment of grey water for ablutions Bottom Left: Photovoltaic cells are placed on a majority of rooftops to offset energy demands from non-renewable sources Bottom Right: Water is pumped through the panels and warmed by the sun before returning to the building for use in ablutions or other water-related needs

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North America’s Hub

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OHIO WEST VIRGINIA

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INDIANA St. Louis

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L E G E N D MAJOR INTERSTATE ROUTES 500 MILE RADIUS FROM SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

SUSTAINABILITY

FLORIDA

RESEARCH

LOUISIANA

FLO RA AND FAU NA

In the initial diagram provided by the client, a large park was requested.

Both teams offer different approaches to meeting this request but the hope is that they will prioritize the use of native species in their designs.

With the Detroit Zoo in close proximity and certain limitations of the site and its context, the studio believed that a new zoo as requested would not be feasible. However, with the proper site planning it is possible for this site to be a haven for a variety of plant and animal life native to Southeastern Michigan. The site sits within a pathway for migratory birds and could function as a stopover point in addition to offering a more permanent home to those that stay in the city year-round.

Monarch butterflies and Mallard ducks are always a treat for the kids to see while playing in the park. New trends in Natural Play encourage creativity in children while fostering an appreciation for nature and the environment. Walking and jogging trails provide a shared amenity for mosque-goers and the site’s residential neighbors to the east.

The incorporation of native vegetation will ensure that the site will remain active throughout all seasons. Not only will selective plantings be a beautiful addition to the site, they will also provide much needed restoration of habitat in the city for Michigan’s native wildlife.

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Butterfly Bush

Big Bluestem

The Wetland Milkweed

New England Aster

Juniper

Sedge

Bur-Reed

Kentucky Coffee Tree

Aquatic Plants

Natural Play

RESEARCH

Shadbush (Juneberry)

SUSTAINABILITY

The Pond

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chapter two the studio

Douglas Kelbaugh

The Minarets

The Crescents

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T H E S T U DI O

This Master of Architecture studio was charged with designing the largest mosque in North America, as the iconic centerpiece of a mixed-use Islamic Medina. The 30-acre site is to include a Souk (retail inspired by traditional middle eastern markets), Recreation Complex that includes a Family Fun Center and a Soccer Stadium, Islamic College, Halal Market, Ethnic Middle-Eastern Restaurants, Housing, and a Park.

Research was conducted independently by students to uncover and understand the various conditions and cultural aspects that would shape the development of the design. In the initial design phase, two groups of six brainstormed overall site strategies and approaches. In preparing the final proposals, students worked in sub-teams of two to develop detailed architectural designs for the mosque, souk, and recreation districts.

Students worked with faculty members, architects, members of the congregation, city officials, and interested developers throughout the semester to generate and refine design proposals. The studio aims to create Islamic architecture and urbanism in the twenty-first century, while respecting long-standing traditions. This site will become a locus for Arab-American life in metro-Detroit and a destination for people from all over the country. The priority was to foster a sense of community in an integrated, coherent and safe environment.

Professor Douglas Kelbaugh

Min Kyeong Ji William Kenney Amy Kurtzberg Grant Ley Salma Teekay Clayton Witt

The Crescents Jamilla Afandi Alexander Hokkanen Shawn Lettow Andrew Stewart Nicholas Warnet Shurui (Wesley) Wu

THE STUDIO

The Minarets

THE WORK

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chapter three the minarets

S I T E P L AN

This proposal aims to create an Arab-American community with a combination of iconic architecture and a program to foster a neighborhood that acts as a regional and national attraction for Detroit, and provides a welcoming atmosphere for residents and visitors alike.

The site is designed keeping in mind the car-dominated transit system of Detroit, as well as the importance of creating a safe and inclusive environment. The main approach to the site is off the Southfield Ffreeway with secondary entry points through Joy Road and Tireman Avenue. The complex consists of a souk at the north end, the mosque in the middle and a recreation campus and soccer stadium at the south end. The main pedestrian connection through the whole site is a tree-lined north-south avenue through the middle, which acts as a spine that binds them together, creating strong symmetrical views.

To maximize visibility of the mosque, it was placed at a central location that can be seen by passing cars on Southfield Freeway. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the large minaret in front, which acts a beacon signaling the presence of an Islamic center. The magnificent dome emerges behind a thicket of trees as you get closer to the mosque.

The souk is at the north end to get maximum frontage on both Joy Road and Southfield Freeway. It aims to create the feel of a traditional Middle Eastern market through a combination of indoor and outdoor pedestrian streets lined with stores of different sizes. It also consists of a halal market and a residential component which connects it back to the neighboring community.

The recreation complex consists of a family fun center and a soccer stadium. The family center houses basketball courts, swimming pools and many outdoor soccer and football fields as well a park, which is used by the neighboring community and people visiting the site from all over Detroit.

The soccer stadium acts as an anchor at the south end of the site and is a regional attractor, which many national, college, and community leagues can use.

The souk at the north end is mainly a cultural space. The mosque has a religious significance, and welcomes everyone from different traditions.

The recreation complex has no cultural or religious components and is a purely international experience. The aim of the project is to create a unique destination that reflects Islamic traditions within an American environment, through a range of different experiences as you move through the site.

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THE MINARETS

Right: Overall Site Plan

SITE PROPOSAL

Top Left: View of central spine connecting the souk, mosque and recreation districts Top Right: Procession through the various districts on site with corresponding views

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Islamic Center of America

THE MINARETS

SITE PROPOSAL

Site Procession

DI AG RAM S

Left: Program Plan

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203,590 sf

Souk

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62,560 sf

Mosque

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217,640 sf

Recreation District

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Halal Market This grocery store/marketplace supplies Halal and fresh food to the area, and has a restaurant on the second story.

Bakery & Deli This marketplace provides a specialized resource to the area. Once in the building you can enter the halal market.

Commercial Space These spaces are dedicated to stores that require a larger area to conduct business, to attract customers to the area.

Housing This residential area accommodates a younger crowd fronting them on Joy Roy and close to the souk.

Senior Housing This residential area is located near the souk giving senior citizens close proximity to it and park space.

Bookstore This space is an outlet for crowds to hang out, read and enjoy the natural courtyard space. Upstairs is a coffee shop.

Information Center This building provides facilities, security and information for all those visiting the area.

Hookah Bar The Hookah Bar provides an area for adolescents, adults and the community to enjoy an authentic Arab experience.

Restaurants These four ethnic restaurants provide authentic cultural experiences and cuisines.

Traditional Souk This part of the souk is set aside for smaller traditional Islamic commerce such as antiques, carpet stores, etc.

Inn This economical housing facility lies within the souk, and provides temporary accommodation for visitors.

Farmer’s Market This is a sheltered space located close to the souk and residential areas for temporary stalls, food trucks, etc.

Tented Courtyard This courtyard is a sheltered relief in the souk allowing visitors to enjoy a shaded region of the outside space.

Natural Courtyard This natural landscape sits within a busy souk, adjacent to both stores and senior housing.

SF: 12,565 As a souk within a souk, the Halal Market is the cornerstone of the site.

SF: 6,130

Main Prayer Hall The main prayer hall is the center of the mosque complex and can accommodate over 2,000 people for Friday prayers.

Small Prayer Hall An ancillary prayer space is located across from the main prayer hall, for smaller congregations.

Event Space Located South West of the Mosque the event space allows for weddings as well as alternate programs to take place.

Islamic College The Islamic College provides a space for lectures and field trips, as well as classroom space for students.

Museum This museum provides a gallery space for the mosque to educate visitors about Islamic culture.

Office Space Ancillary office spaces are located across the hall from the main prayer hall.

Imam’s Residence The Imam’s residence as well as an additional guest rooms for visiting scholars are located above the offices.

SF: 30,760 Courtyards: 32,350

Recreation Facility The Rec Center has a field house, basketball courts, an indoor track, gyms and other exercise equipment.

SF: 59,800 284,184 Outdoor Park Space

Soccer Field South of the rec center sits the anchor of the site. The outdoor soccer stadium has a FIFA regulation sized field.

SF: 157,840 Can hold 2,700 Patrons 31,692 for standing room

SF: 89,100 Size of retail varies SF: 11,086 SF: 11,860 SF: 22,440 Coffee shop and outdoor balcony space on second story SF: 3,155 SF: 3,455 SF: 23,750 Varies in size, largest restaurant area is 17,249 square feet SF: 7,125 697 each SF: 8,000 SF: 2,000 SF: 6,350 Akin to the recreation center’s roof, this tent unites the site.

SF: 6,580

SF: 6,000 SF: 9,000 SF: 12,500 Auditorium Space: 4,800 Classroom Space: 3,200 SF: 3,000 SF: 2,840 SF: 2,840

DIAGRAMS

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Square Footage

THE MINARETS

1

Programmatic Use

825 spaces 395 spaces 300 spaces

Recreation District

Mosque

Souk

Number of Parking Spaces

Parking Deck(3 stories):

Halal Market:

660 pull in spaces

Inn Parking:

15 pull in spaces

Housing:

70 pull in spaces

Parallel Parking:

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Event Center:

28 pull in spaces 12 parallel spaces

Forested Parking:

265 pull in spaces 90 parallel spaces

Rec Center:

80 pull in spaces 30 parallel spaces

Soccer Stadium:

150 pull in spaces 40 parallel spaces

30 pull in spaces

Overall: 1,520 spaces

Left: Parking Plan Middle: Storm Water Management Right: Pathways and Plantings

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Deciduous trees provide shade and greenery for the local area.

Local flowering trees such as Dogwood and Eastern Redbud line significant paths and entrances.

These arterial pathways span the entire site and connect the diverse range of programmatic elements within the site.

DIAGRAMS

Evergreen and piny trees like dwarf blue pines are used as acoustic buffers and to provide spatial enclosure.

THE MINARETS

Detroit has introduced a storm water management fee, and on sites like this, the charges can be significant. Our team prioritized the management of storm water and provided a blue and green infrastructure. These detention and retention ponds serve not only to manage our site’s rainfall but also enhance Medina Garden’s aesthetic and environmental impact.

MOSQUE Clayton Witt & Salma Teekay

The mosque is the crown jewel of the site, and acts as its formal and programmatic linchpin. To maximize visibility of the mosque, it was placed at a central location that can be seen by passing cars on Southfield Freeway.

The main approach to the mosque is off Southfield Freeway. The procession of events that one must go through before entering a mosque begins as soon as you enter the site, amplifying the experience. Standing at 200 feet tall, the main minaret is visible from miles away and acts as a beacon signaling the presence of an Islamic center. The magnificent dome emerges from behind a grove of trees as you approach the mosque.

The mosque has been designed to create a traditional Islamic experience within an American atmosphere.

The parking lot in front of the mosque is designed as a forested grove of trees lined symmetrically along the central pedestrian axis of the site to create the feeling of an Islamic garden. It also doubles as an outdoor event space for Eid and other festivals. The natural landscape is pulled into the building where the structure of the sweeping dome is cut out to allow trees to grow under it.

Once inside the mosque the experience continues as you proceed through the grand sky lit atrium and ablutions, before entering the main prayer hall.

The prayer hall is a surreal experience with light filtering in through the dome and the inner patterned fabric layer under it. The row of tree like columns and dappled light create the feeling of being in a forest. The large prayer wall in front is a light tinge of blue and has a niche for the mihrab with a skylight allowing light to wash over it.

The main prayer hall is in the middle of the mosque complex with ancillary spaces on either side, There is a smaller prayer hall across from the main hall for smaller congregations. The Imam’s residence is on the upper floor adjacent to the balcony of the main prayer hall. The Islamic college is to the left of the mosque and has classrooms as well as a large auditorium for sermons. On the right is a banquet hall to host weddings, conferences and other events. The variety of courtyards in the mosque, landscaped, natural and paved, can host a range of events as well as act as overflow prayer space.

Right: Interior view of main prayer hall of the mosque, showing the inner fabric layer within the dome and dappled light filtering through it

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View from the parking lot

View from the main approach road with the large minaret straight ahead and dome in the background

View from the front of the mosque showing the dome in the center and two smaller minarets symmetrically placed in the background, framing the prayer wall

Left: Procession showing views of the dome and minaret of the mosque, from the time a person steps out of their car till they approach the main entrance View from the under the sweeping canopy of the dome showing the trees emerging out from under it, and the large copper entrance way into the atrium

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Right: Plan of mosque district

THE MINARETS

MOSQUE

Top Left: Longitudinal section showing the main prayer hall with the event space to the right and Islamic college to the left Top Right: View of the shallow painted domes along the exterior colonnade Bottom: Cross section showing the main prayer hall and the profile of the dome, as well as the tree-covered surface parking lot in front all the way till Southfield Freeway

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THE MINARETS

MOSQUE

Top Left: Back elevation of the mosque showing the prayer wall and the two smaller minarets framing it, with the large minaret in the background Top Right: View of the atrium of the mosque showing the main lobby where people leave their coats and shoes, and the balcony which acts as overflow prayer space with ablutions below it. This is the only space from where there is an unobstructed view of the dome. The 99 names of Allah are inscribed in the wall surrounding the main prayer hall.

Bottom: Front elevation of the mosque showing the large minaret in front with the dome and two smaller minarets behind it. It also shows the materiality of the buildings, with the central building made of concrete clad with limestone, and the ancillary spaces on either side made of brick.

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THE MINARETS

MOSQUE

Circulation

Sacred Spaces

Pathways and Plantings

Due to the nature of the ablutions process and our sustainable goals for this project, the water used in the washing of hands and feet is reclaimed and cleaned through reed beds within the site.

The main prayer hall carpet is the same blue and white Smooth polished concrete in ancillary spaces

A signatory blue and white cobblestone path

As part of the process of approaching the mosque, the texture of paths, courtyards, and interior spaces demarcate degrees of enclosure.

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Top Left (from left to right): Diagrams showing Circulation, Sacred spaces, and Pathways and Plantings in the mosque district Left (top to bottom): Diagrams showing Water use and Textures in the mosque district Right: Composition of the dome, and functions and materials of its various layers

The south facing panels on the mosque’s dome are insulated glass and allow for the transmission of sunlight into the mosque during the day and the projection of light out into the night.

The reason for the dome is three-fold visual impact from both Southfield and the surrounding area, a grand light-filled sacred space, and a sustainable method to insulate the large volume of the mosque underneath.

An ETFE fabric spans the vault-like columns.

This semi-transparent patterned fabric filters the light coming in from the dome and scatters it throughout the main prayer hall. This fabric is also airtight, and creates a massive insulating volume of air above the prayer space.

THE MINARETS

MOSQUE

A forest of tree-like columns support the ETFE fabric as well as the space frame structure above.

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SOUK Amy Kurtzberg & Min Kyeong Ji

This modern day souk aims to create the feel of a traditional middle eastern bazaar or market through a combination of indoor and outdoor pedestrian-oriented streets lined with stores of different sizes. The goal of the souk is to bring people from the surrounding neighborhood as well as the Muslim community to a oneof-a-kind shopping destination. After the initial analysis, it was understood that there was very limited commercial program surrounding the site. Part of the design plan was to incorporate a contemporized traditional Islamic souk that would be a regional and commercial destination.

The souk is located at the north end of the site to maximize frontage on Joy Road and Southfield Freeway.

Joy Road has some existing small retail and easy vehicular access making it an ideal location for the commercial development. The souk consists of retail spaces, an inn, housing, a halal market, four ethnic restaurants (with inner courtyards), and temporary sheltered retail spaces for farmers’ markets and food trucks.

Circulation was the driving force behind the layout of the souk. The main pathway is a continuation of the central north-south pedestrian spine along the entire site, which bends at the main minaret to continue through the mosque and souk. To highlight the main pathway, parametric facades were placed on buildings that are located along this path. It branches out to smaller pathways.

The souk has been designed by compressing and opening pathways, through the use of courtyards, which is inspired from traditional souk designs. Three different courtyard conditions are present in the souk to cater to different moods, paved, natural and landscaped. Four different sized bays are proposed which get repeated through the souk, ranging from 40’x70’ (western standard retail size) to 20’x30’ (traditional souk dimensions).

Different sized bays allows retailers to divide the spaces if necessary. The main building material of the souk is brick with some use of concrete and aluminum sheeting only for the parametric screens.

Right: Bird’s eye view of tented courtyard space within the souk and surrounding commercial spaces and terraces

47

Top Left: Plan of the Souk District Top Right: Precedent studies showing examples of a traditional and contemporary souk and a hybridization of the two into the Medina Gardens Souk Bottom: Section through the souk showing various types of commercial spaces, residential spaces, courtyards, parking etc.

49

Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners

Foster Partners Abu Dhabi, United Arab&Emirates Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Syria Al- Aleppo, Medina Souk AbuAldar Central Market Contemporary/Modern Design Contemporary/Modern Design

UNESCO World Heritage Site 13 kilos Approximate length:

Full Plan of souk

Foster1991469.82 & Partners Area: sq ft.

Abu Dhabi, United Aleppo, Syria 1991469.82 sqArab ft. Emirates Summary: Area: This souk is indoors and 13 kilos Approximate length:

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metric

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utilizes stalls of similar size and Learning from the traditional souk we rotates them throughout the layout.

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Integration into scheme: Learning from the traditional souk, shops of similar sizes were utilized and rotated throughout the site. Additionally, the souk was integrated with the parking garage to begin the experience of the souk as soon as one stepped out of the car.

Axonometric

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Aldar Central Market Contemporary/Modern Design

balconies and colonnades space is around the same Med and clearly organized allow Aldar Central Market movement of people Foster & Partners Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Med Integrated into Scheme: Aldar Central Market Contemporary/Modern Design Area: Foster & Partners Area: 1991469.82 sq ft.we d Learning from Aldar center

Isolated portion of Isolated Souk portion of SoukIsolated portion of Souk

Isolated portion of Souk Isolated portion of Souk

Axonometric

Axonometric Aldar Central Market, Abu Dhabi, UAE Foster and Partners

Axonometric

Contemporary Souk

Isolated portion of Souk Isolated portion of Souk

Axonometric

This souk is indoor and integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and Axonometric colonnades. Each space is around the same size and clearly organized to allow easy movement of people.

Integration into scheme: Learning from the modern contemporary souk, a similar strategy was utilized making buildings of a similar size and organizing them in a coherent manner.

Additionally, courtyards, covered walkways with dappled light and alley ways were integrated.

Isolated portion o

Isolated portion o

Medina GardenAxonometric Souk, Detroit, US The Minarets

Axonometr

Axonometric

Axonometric Hybrid Souk

Axonometr

Isolated portion of Souk

Axonometric

This souk is a hybrid of eastern and wester shopping markets. Based off traditional Islamic commercial planning, this souk is inviting to all and provides a safe and inclusive environment for all who visit.

Axonometric

SOUK

Al- MedinaIntegrated Souk Al- Medina Souk into Scheme: UNESCO World Heritage Site ESCO World Heritage Site Learning from the traditional souk we Syria Al- Aleppo, Medina Souk Al- Aleppo, Medina Souk utilized shops of similar sizesSyria and rotated them throughout the whole site.

UNESCO World Heritage Site ESCO World Heritage Site Approximate length: 13 kilos proximate length: 13 kilos Additionally after receiving feedback Aleppo, Syria Aleppo, Syria Summary: mary: about integrating the souk into our This souk isthat indoors and This souk is indoors and 13akilos length: 13 kilos parking garageApproximate we decided proximate length: integrates courtyards, This souk integrates courtyards, This souk traditional souq would work really well utilizes stalls of similar sizein and utilizes stalls of similar size and Summary: mary: them throughout the layout. rotates them throughout the layout. this area due to itsrotates flexibility with size.

Aldar Central Market Al- Medina Souk Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners UNESCO World Heritage Site

THE MINARETS

rotates them throughout the layout.

Top Left: View of landscaped courtyard in the souk Top Right: Potential layout designs of commercial spaces within the souk Bottom: Joy Road elevation

51

Souk District Potential Layout Designs

l RetailScale: 40’x50’ nts

Layout2: Medium Retail 40’x80’

50’

Layout 1: Small Retail 40’x50’

Layout2: Medium Retail 40’x80’

50’

50’

Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’ Layout2: Medium Retail 40’x80’ Layout 1: Small50’Retail 40’x50’

50’

Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’

ayout2: Medium Retail 40’x80’

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’

Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendo

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’ Layout 2: Medium Retail 40’x80’

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space

LayoutLayout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’ 3: Large Retail 70’x115’

Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor4:Space Layout Traditional Souq Vendor Spac

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space

Layout 3: Large Retail 70’x115’

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space

Precedent Studies Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space

e Retail 70’x115’

Al- Medina Souk UNESCO World Heritage Site Aleppo, Syria

Layout 4: Traditional Souq Vendor Space

Approximate length: 13 kilos Summary:

Layout 4: Traditional Souk Vendor Space

Precedent Studies

Precedent Studies

Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners

Approximate length: 13 kilos

Area:

Summary:

rotated them throughout the wholeFoster site. & Partners Aleppo, Syria Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Additionally after receiving feedback about integrating the souk into our Contemporary/Modern Design Approximate length: 13 kilos parking garage we decided that a Area: traditional souq would work really well in 1991469.82 sq ft. this area due to its flexibility with size.

Summary: Summary:

Approximate length: 13 kilos

Summary: This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, This souk utilizes stalls of similar size and rotates them throughout the layout.

Precedent Studies

ouk e Site

This souk is indoors and

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Each stalls of similar size and rotates space is around the same sizethem throughout the layout. and clearly organized allowing for movement Integrated of people. into Scheme:

Al- Medina Souk UNESCO World Heritage Site

Learning from the traditional souk we utilized shops of similar sizes and rotated them throughout the whole site.

Additionally after receiving feedback about integrating the souk into our parking garage we decided that a traditional souq would work really well in this area due to its flexibility with size.

Aldar Central Market

Integrated into Scheme:Learning from the traditional souk we Full Plan of souk Foster & Partners utilized shops of similar sizes and Learning from Aldar center we decided Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates rotated them throughout the whole site. to utilize a similar strategy making Contemporary/Modern Design Additionally buildings a similar size and organizing after receiving feedback about integrating the souk into our them in a coherent manner.

Area: 1991469.82 sq ft.

Additional we integrated courtyards, parking garage we decided that a covered walkways withtraditional dappled light souq would work really well in Summary: and alleyways. this area due to its flexibility with size.

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Full Plan of souk

Aleppo, Syria

Full Plan of souk

Approximate length: 13 kilos Summary:

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Al- Medina Isolated Souk portion of Souk Integrated into Scheme: Contemporary/Modern Design UNESCO World Heritage Site

Precedent Studies balconies and colonnades. Each integrates courtyards, This souk utilizes stalls of similar size and space is around the same size rotates them throughout theand layout. clearly organized allowing for

Isolated portion of Souk

Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners

al souk we zes and whole site. feedback into our d that a eally well in with size.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Full Plan of souk Contemporary/Modern Design Area:

Full Plan of souk

1991469.82 sq ft.

Summary: This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and colonnades. Each space is around the same size and clearly organized allowing for movement of people.

Axonometric

Integrated into Scheme:

Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners

Area:

integrates courtyards, This souk Isolated portion of Souk Axonometricutilizes stalls of similar size and rotates them throughout the layout.

Isolated portion of Souk

176,937 sq ft.

Integrated into Scheme:

Summary: Learning from Aldar center we decided

to utilize a similar strategy making This souk is hybrid oforganizing western and buildings a similar size and eastern themshopping in a coherentmarkets. manner. Based off Additional we integrated courtyards, of traditional islamic commercial covered walkways with dappled light planning, Our souk is inviting to all and alleyways.

Isolated portion of Souk

and provides an inclusive environment to all who come here.

Full Plan of souk

Axonometric

The Minarets

Axonometric

Area:

Al- Medina Souk UNESCO World Heritage Site Full Plan of souk

Full Plan of souk Isolated portion of Souk

Isolated portion of Souk

Detroit MI, USA Hybrid Design

Market Foster & Partners

Contemporary/Modern Design Area:

1991469.82 sq ft.

Summary:

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and colonnades. Each space is around the same size Medina Gardens and clearly organized allowing for Souk Axonometric movement of people.

The Minarets

eastern shopping markets. Based off of traditional islamic commercial planning, Our souk is inviting to all and provides an inclusive environment to all who come here.

Integrated into Scheme: Detroit MI, USA Learning from Aldar center we decided Area: 176,937 sq ft. to utilize a similar strategy making

Isolated portion of Soukbuildings a similar size and organizing

Summary: them in a coherent manner.

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planning, Our souk is inviting to all Isolated portion and provides an inclusive environment to all who come here.

Medina Gardens Souk The Minarets

Area:

176,937 sq ft.

Summary: This souk is hybrid of western and eastern shopping markets. Based off of traditional islamic commercial Axonometric planning, Our souk is inviting to all and provides an inclusive environment to all who come here.

Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners

Isolated portion of

Isolated portion of Souk

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Contemporary/Modern Design

Axonometric

1991469.82 sq ft.

This souk is indoors and Isolated portion of Souk integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and colonnades. Each space is around the same size and clearly organized allowing for movement of people.

Axonometric

Integrated into Scheme: Axonometric

Full Plan of souk

Learning from Aldar center we decided to utilize a similar strategy making buildings a similar size and organizing them in a coherent manner.

Additional we integrated courtyards, covered walkways with dappled light and alleyways.

176,937 sq ft.

Summary:

Axonometric

Isolated portion of Souk

Axonometric

Aldar Central Market Foster & Partners

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Contemporary/Modern Design Axonometric Area: 1991469.82 sq ft.

of Souk

Detroit MI, USA Design FullHybrid Plan of souk

Axonometric

Axonometric

This souk is hybrid of western and eastern shopping markets. Based off of traditional islamic commercial planning, Our souk is inviting to all and provides an inclusive environment to all who come here.

Full Plan of sou

Hybrid Design

Full Plan of souk

Area:

Axonometric utilized shops of similar sizes and

rotated them throughout the whole site.

Additionally after receiving feedback about integrating the souk into our parking garage we decided that a Isolated portion of Souk traditional souq would work really well in this area due to its flexibility with size.

Medina Gardens Souk

Learning from the traditional souk we utilized shops of similar sizes and rotated them throughout the whole site.

Additionally after receiving feedback about integrating the souk into our parking garage we decided that a traditional souq would work really well in Full Plan of souk this area due to its flexibility with size.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Summary:

Learning from the traditional souk we

Full Plan of souk

Isolated portion of Souk

Learning from Aldar center we decided to utilize a similar strategy making Aleppo, Syria buildings a similar size and organizing them in a coherent manner.

Additional we integrated courtyards,Approximate length: 13 kilos covered walkways with dappled light Axonometric

Area:

Integrated into Scheme:

1991469.82 sq ft.

Integrated into Scheme:

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and colonnades. Each

UNESCO World Heritage Site into Scheme: Integrated

Hybrid Design

Isolated portion of Souk Axonometric

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and colonnades. Each space is around the same size Axonometric and clearly organized allowing for movement of people.

1991469.82 sq ft.

Summary:

Isolated portion of Souk

Full Plan of souk

Summary:

Area:

rotated them throughout the whole site. we decided Full Plan of souk Learning from Aldar center we decided Additionally after receiving Learning feedback from Aldar center Area: making 176,937 sq ft.

Axonometric Aleppo, Syria to utilize a similar strategy making toour utilize a similar strategy about integrating the souk into parking garage we decidedbuildings that a buildings a similar size and organizing a similar size and organizing Summary: traditional souq would work really well in in a coherent them in a coherent manner. them manner.

13 kilos Approximate length: this area due to its flexibility with size.

Additional we integrated courtyards, Thiscourtyards, souk is hybrid of western and Additional we integrated covered walkways with dappled light eastern shopping markets. Based off covered walkways withofdappled light and alleyways. traditional islamic commercial Summary: and alleyways. planning, Our souk is inviting to all and provides an inclusive This souk is indoors and environment to all who come here.

Isolated portion of Souk

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Contemporary/Modern Design

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Contemporary/Modern Full Plan of souk Design

space is around the same size movementMedina of people.Gardens Souk organized allowing for Integrated into Scheme: Al- Medina Soukand clearly The Minarets movement of people.

Learning from the traditional souk we Integrated into Scheme: Detroit MI, USA Isolated portion of Souk Full Plan of souk utilized shops of similar sizes and

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Additional we integrated courtyards, covered walkways with dappled light and alleyways.

udies

k

Foster & Partners

Learning from the traditional souk we 1991469.82 sq shops ft. of similar sizes and utilized Aleppo, Syria Area: rotated them throughout the whole site.

Full Plan of souk Additionally after receiving feedback kilos Approximate length: 13Summary: about integrating the souk into our parking garage we decided that a This souk is indoors and Summary: traditional souq would work really well in integrates courtyards, this areaalleys, due to its flexibility with size.

This souk is indoors and

s and This souk size and t the layout.

Detroit MI, USA Learning from Aldar center we decided Hybrid Design to utilize a similar strategy making buildings size sq and Area: a similar 176,937 ft. organizing them in a coherent manner.

Additional Summary:we integrated courtyards, covered walkways with dappled light This souk is hybrid of western and and alleyways.

Medina Gardens Souk The Minarets

This souk is indoors and Aldar Central Market integrates courtyards, This souk utilizes stalls of similar size and Foster & Partners rotates them throughout the layout.

kilos

Medina Gardens Souk

Minarets Integrated The into Scheme: Full Plan of souk

Integrated into Scheme:

SOUK

Al- Medina Souk Learning from the traditional souk we Central Market Aldar UNESCO World Heritage Site utilized shops of similar sizes and

Precedent Studies

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, This souk utilizes stalls of similar size and rotates them throughout the layout.

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, alleys, balconies and colonnades. Each space is around the Isolated same sizeportion of Souk Full Planallowing of soukfor and clearly organized movement of people.

Aldar Central

Integrated into Scheme:

Aleppo, Syria

Summary:

1991469.82 sq ft.

Summary:

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, This souk utilizes stalls of similar size and rotates them throughout the layout.

Al- Medina Souk UNESCO World Heritage Site Full Plan of souk

Aleppo, Syria Approximate length: 13 kilos

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Contemporary/Modern Design

Medina Gardens Souk The Minarets

THE MINARETS

Precedent Studies

Integrated into Scheme:

Learning from the traditional souk we utilized shops of similar sizes and rotated them throughout the whole site.

Additionally after receiving feedback about integrating the souk into our parking garage we decided that a traditional souq would work really well in this area due to its flexibility with size.

Al- Medina Souk UNESCO World Heritage Site

Aleppo, Syria

Full Plan of souk

Integrated into Scheme:

Full Plan of souk

Al- Medina Souk UNESCO World Heritage Site

Precedent Studies

This souk is indoors and integrates courtyards, This souk utilizes stalls of similar size and rotates them throughout the layout.

Detroit MI, USA Hybrid Design

Isolated portion of Souk

Area:

176,937 sq ft.

Isolated portion of Souk

53

Top Left (from left to right): Diagrams showing Circulation, and Pathways and Plantings in the souk district Top Right: Elevation along the service drive showing the inn and other commercial spaces

THE MINARETS

SOUK

Bottom: View of the temporary covered market space for farmers’ markets, food trucks, etc.

55

FA M I LY R E C R E ATI O N C E NTE R AND SOCCE R STADIUM Grant Ley & William Kenney

Besides addressing the program needs, we strove to create a Recreation Campus at the south end of the site that acts as an iconic hub for Detroit and the surrounding region. Anchored by a soccer stadium and a family fun/ wellness center, the Recreation Campus uses integrative site design by maintaining a central axis, allowing people to walk from the Souk and Mosque areas.

The Family Recreation Center sits at the north end of the Recreation Campus. This family fun center includes a swimming pool, two basketball courts, workout room, juice bar, offices, yoga room and other fitness classes.

All of these programs are bounded by a suspended track which connects the two buildings of the recreation center on the upper floor. The outside facilities include basketball courts, swimming pools, and a high schoolsized soccer field that can be divided into various sizes.

Originally a single building, the Recreation Center is divided into two allowing the central axis to continue through the site. Each building has a diagonal cut on the end to allow the occupant’s eye to be drawn toward the minaret. The roof is shaped not only to focus the eyes through the two buildings and towards the minaret, but also to frame the mosque’s dome and the soccer stadium’s canopy overhang. The recreation center is sunk two feet below grade to allow a low profile keeping the roof from becoming too overwhelming, as well as to emphasize the central axis.

The Soccer Stadium has a FIFA-regulation-sized field surrounded by stands that can seat up to 2,700 people.

Patrons enter on the mezzanine level and can walk up or down to find seating. The second level of the stadium can greatly increase the capacity of patrons by providing plenty of standing room. A light metal structure holds up a translucent polymer plastic roof with a beautiful geometric pattern layered on the underside, which allows indirect light to come through while still shading the spectators.

A berm on the west side acts as a noise barrier between the campus and Southfield Freeway. People can exit the Recreation Center onto the top of the berm and continue along its entire length to the upper level of the stadium, further strengthening the campus atmosphere.

Right: View of the elevated jogging track around the Recreation campus with the dome and minaret of the mosque seen in the background

57

59

Left: Plan of Recreation District Top Right: Procession showing symmetrical views through the central axis of the site facing south toward the soccer stadium

THE MINARETS

RECREATION & FAMILY FUN CENTER

Bottom Right: Elevation of the Recreation Center building from the south, with the dome and minaret of the mosque in the background

Top Left (from left to right): Diagrams showing Circulation, and Storm water management in the recreation district Top Right: Interior view of the Recreation Center showing the Olympic-sized pool with a jogging track around it Bottom: Section through the Recreation Center showing the swimming pool, basketball courts and jogging track inside, with the roof structure of the soccer stadium seen in the background

61

THE MINARETS

RECREATION & FAMILY FUN CENTER

Top Left: Elevation of the Recreation Center from the north, with the roof structure of the soccer stadium in the background Top Right: Interior view of the Recreation Center showing the Basketball courts with the jogging track around it on the upper level, and the outdoor soccer fields seen through the window Bottom: View along the central pedestrian axis of the site showing the two symmetrical blocks of the Recreation Center with the big minaret behind it at the north end of the axis. The recreation campus is sunk two feet below grade on either side of the pedestrian path to emphasize the importance of the axis and enhance the north-south connection.

63

THE MINARETS

RECREATION & FAMILY FUN CENTER

Top Left: View of soccer stadium during a game, showing spectators cheering in the stands under the light fabric roof Top Right (Top): View of the main entrance of the soccer stadium showing the cable bridge Top Right (Bottom): Section through the soccer field along the North-South axis, showing the stands and the light roof structure in the background Bottom: Front elevation of the soccer stadium showing the cable bridge which marks its entrance, and the light steel structures supporting the roof on either side. The berm connecting the Recreation Center with the soccer stadium is seen at the far right. The main material used is brick.

65

THE MINARETS

RECREATION & FAMILY FUN CENTER

67

69

chapter four the crescents

S I T E P L AN

The Crescents took a user-based design approach in all regions of the site. They envisioned a place that would be enjoyed by students, religious scholars, children and young adults of every race and creed.

While they have clearly acknowledged the current preference for a cardominated transit system the team allocated space just south of the primary minaret for a large bus station on the Southfield service road. As it stands, only one bus route runs on the service road but it is the hope of the team that once this area is developed the existing public transit infrastructure will grow making it easier to arrive on site by bus from either Southfield or Joy Road.

The Mosque is positioned toward the middle of the site to maximize the visibility of the structure from the freeway. The Mosque itself sits further back, closer to the residential side of the site to avoid the noise and other disruptive effects of the road while the primary minaret stands nearer to the street, erupting out of a dense grove of trees to signal the mosque’s presence for miles around. It was important to keep the Islamic College, Museum, Banquet Halls, and Imam’s Residence in close proximity to the Prayer Hall. These programs are located on either side of the mosque, the more private (Imam’s Residence, Islamic College and Museum) are on the east side facing the future residential areas while the more public (Banquet Halls and Event Spaces) are on the west side for easy access from the freeway.

The northernmost section of the site includes the Souk and parking for retail and religious programs. Parking was an ever-present challenge throughout the studio but given the temporal nature of parking demand the team chose to share structured parking between the Souk and the Mosque programs. Joy Road is the primary retail thoroughfare on the site which helped the team position different types of retail in the Souk. Two plazas, one at the north and one at the south end of the souk, provide gathering spaces for events, outdoor dining opportunities for cafes, and informal socialization while shopping.

The south end of the site is occupied by the Recreation and Family Fun Center. The collegiate-size soccer stadium and its space frame covering are recognizable from above and are flanked by the smaller more casual sports fields and naturally vegetated park. The Recreation Center itself has numerous programs ranging from a spa to an indoor skate park that are arranged along the eastern edge of the site. It is the hope that this facility becomes the place to be for families and people of all ages!

71

Joy Road

Doha Court

ra

Hi Dr Aleppo Lane

K

Longacre Ave

Southfield Freeway

ive

a

al

b ar

le rc

Ci

Right: Overall Site Plan Tireman Ave

THE CRESCENTS

SITE PROPOSAL

Beirut Place

Right: User biographies that inspired the design Left: Visitors to the site take advantage of the spiritual, physical and employment opportunities that exist on the site.

73

Ishmael’s mom works at the Masjid so he spends a lot of his time in the childcare center there.

Amira’s family owns the Yemeni restaurant in the Medina.

They immigrated to the United States when she was three years old.

Jasmina and Omar just got married at the Masjid and are having their reception at the Lebanese restaurant across from the Mosque.

Imam Qazwini is from Iraq. He moved to the United States in 1992.

Ibrahim plays soccer for a league in Detroit and spends most of his time practicing & working out at the Recreation Center.

THE CRESCENTS

SITE PROPOSAL

Denise and Scott are living in the Senior Housing complex.

They enjoy living near the activity of the Medina.

DI AG RAM S

Top Left: The site’s main axis sits on Southfield Freeway and its parallel service road. Much of the congregation is expected to arrive from the South, coming from Dearborn and take the service road to drop off in front of the mosque after which they can choose to park in the surface lots or enter the parking structure to the north.

75

Parallel Parking: 30 Overall: 1,903 spaces

DIAGRAMS

Soccer Stadium: 273

THE CRESCENTS

Rec Center: 98 371 spaces

Housing: 80

Round-About spaces: 150

Recreation District

Inn Parking: 15

Museum Parking: 92 242 spaces

Parking Decks (3): 1120

Halal Market: 45

Mosque

1290 spaces

Souk

Number of Parking Spaces

MOSQUE Shawn Lettow & Nicholas Warnet

In traditional Arab mosques there is little need to factor the automobile into the religious progression or individual’s approach. However in Detroit, a city built for vehicular transportation, the congregants arrival sequence begins long before entering the site.

The following pages includes images that depict how the primary minaret, a beacon for those driving on Southfield Freeway, is seen and the significance of what it represents is understood even at a great distance. The Mosque’s Dome appears next, its bronze color peaking above the surrounding buildings. After exiting the highway the crescent shaped roundabout gives drivers access to a covered drop-off for passengers and several options for convenient surface lots nearby.

From these lots pedestrians are gathered by a colonnade that provides a comfortable walking experience in all seasons while increasing the likelihood of chance encounters with friends and family along the way. Upon approaching the main entrance visitors are given a view into the Islamic Museum which is critical to the interfaith work and educational outreach done by members of the congregation. The removal of shoes and, in the winter months, coats occurs shortly after entering. This process is facilitated by the built in storage system integrated into the walls.

Ablutions are located on either side of the main atrium after which individuals proceed through the glass wall into the strikingly domed Prayer Hall. On weekdays the demand for space in the Prayer Hall tends to be much lower than the 2000-plus people expected on Fridays. To accommodate for a smaller group while still maintaining the grand experience of the hall and reducing winter heating costs, a glass, folding partition can be extended underneath the balcony.

The Imam’s Residence and the Islamic College take up most of the south wing of the mosque while the Event Center and Banquet Hall occupy much of the north wing.

Right: The rendering depicts the entry from the main parking structure or the Eid Plaza. You can see the primary minaret in the distance on the freeway side of the building while one of the secondary minarets marks the colonnade and reflecting pool in the foreground.

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Arcade

Traditional Arcade

Processional Collector

Processional Collector

Traditional Arcade Traditional Arcade Traditional Minaret

Minaret

Traditional Minaret Traditional Minaret

Beacon Beacon

Traditional Dome Beacon Traditional Dome

Traditional Minaret

Dome

Traditional Dome

Symbolic Translation

Processional Collector Processional Collector Beacon

Translation SymbolicSymbolic Translation

Beacon

Symbolic Translation

Top: Building element translational diagrams Right: Mosque ground floor plan Traditional Dome

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Bottom: Mosque sectionalSymbolic Translation perspective

THE CRESCENTS

MOSQUE

Top: Mosque program diagram Bottom: Front elevation of the Mosque with Islamic College and Event spaces to the right and left respectively

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THE CRESCENTS

MOSQUE

Top: Procession diagram indicating how people enter the mosque from the main entrance or the parking structure and proceed through ablutions and into the prayer hall

Driving South on Southfield Highway

Driving North on Southfield Highway

Entry into Roundabout

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Top: Exterior render approaching the mosque from the service road

THE CRESCENTS

MOSQUE

Bottom: Light streams in from the clerestory windows that line the Prayer Hall. This image is taken from underneath the overflow balcony on the mezzanine level.

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SOUK Alexander Hokkanen & Jamilla Afandi

Whether you are here for an afternoon of shopping, brunch after prayer, or a stroll through our interior souk, getting lost in a multi-level shopping experience then finding that perfect store is an experience that will make regulars out of first time shoppers. This culturally sensitive retail environment has something for everyone!

After studying souks in Aleppo, Syria and Istanbul, Turkey alongside more modern American retail typologies, the souk team worked to hybridize the experiential qualities of both precedents in an effort to create a distinct regional shopping destination.

While the mosque is the spiritual heart of the project, the souk is the economic center that financially supports further development and caters to a wide range of people from all walks of life. It is our hope that this space becomes a destination for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The souk is situated on the north end of the site along Joy Road, a major arterial road in the city. Most of the existing retail in this area is built up along this street.

This location is also easily accessible from the Southfield Highway and Service Road making it an ideal spot for retail of all kinds. The proposed commercial spaces include several large ethnic restaurants, a halal market, a cinema, and a bookstore-cafe.

The Eid Plaza directly across the street from the mosque is large enough to accommodate large groups for the bi-yearly celebration. The plaza includes a small stage for community events as well as a central crescent sundial.

Set within the permeable pavers that make up the hard surface of the plaza are lights that, when sunset arrives, light up like a field of stars. On the east end of the plaza another set of lights on slightly raised pedestals track the phases of the moon and are illuminated in sync with the lunar calendar.

We have included a hospice and senior living facilities on the south end of the Souk near the Mosque so there is easy access to pray while still connected with the larger community. An Inn was also requested for guests who visit from out of town which is able to serve as both short and long stay accommodations.

Right: The main street upon entering the site from the north, lined on the left with farmers market stalls

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Farmers Market Stalls

Slow Traffic Slow Traffic

Souk

Souk

Second Level Promenade

Second Level Promenade

Farmers Market Stalls

Top Left: Ground floor plan showing the parking structure layout and diversity of retail spaces available in the Souk Top Right: A diagrammatic section through the primary northsouth street between the Souk and the parking structure. The parking structure is more than a place to park your car. On market or food truck days the structure is filled with shoppers.

SOUK

Bottom: Eid Plaza elevation of the largest restaurant space with a bookstore on the second level

THE CRESCENTS

Food Food Truck Truck Court Court

Top: View from Eid Plaza Colonnade toward the mosque Bottom: Section through the Hospice Care facility, Eid Plaza, Restaurant, and Bookstore looking toward the mosque.

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Souk Boundary

APPLIED

Major Streets Connection Streets

P Souk Boundary Major Streets Connection Streets

Top Left: Precedent Souks in Aleppo and Istanbul respectively

SOUK

Top Right: Souk proposal diagram showing how we translated older examples for a new context

THE CRESCENTS

L

Connection Streets

Souk Renders

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FA M I LY R E C R E ATI O N C E NTE R AND SOCCE R STADIUM Shurui (Wesley) Wu & Andrew Stewart

The initial requests for athletics-related programs included an indoor FIFA-regulation-sized soccer field, and a recreation center oriented around ‘family fun’.

Rather than accrue the expenditures of building, operating, and maintaining separate facilities for these activities, and physically separating soccer from other athletics, the team of designers working on this area opted to combine their efforts to rethink the community recreation center as a typology. The final program layout of the building resulted in a organic procession, with a central circulation corridor that angles its way through the different spaces. This approach was influenced formally by the non-uniform inward tilt of the adjacent soccer concourse against the gymnasiums, and reinforced conceptually throughout the rest of the building based on asymmetrical souk corridors seen in historic Arab urban design precedents. The building is organized programmatically based on group & team athletics (swimming, basketball), and age appropriate family activity spaces, allowing everyone from adults to small children several unique places accessible to them.

The center is complete with indoor basketball courts, exercise equipment, a running/ walking track, spa, rock climbing wall, and skate park. The indoor track is enclosed in glass and runs around the second story.

Functioning as a clerestory surrounding the pool and basketball gymnasiums, it fills these spaces with an abundance of natural light. Likewise it also gives runners spectacular views of the internal athletics spaces and out to the mosque, stadium and park as well.

Enclosing the soccer stadium was deemed impractical and the facility was ultimately moved outdoors.

Located adjacent to Southfield Freeway, the field hugs the west side of the recreation building and includes phase one seating for 1500 people beneath a space frame canopy that utilizes integrated photovoltaics to power concessions and lighting around the field.

Water collected from the canopy irrigates the grass and supplements the needs of landscaping elsewhere on the site. The field itself is slightly below grade, which in concert with a double row of appropriate trees adjacent to the field is part of a strategy to keep errant balls from entering the freeway and to reduce automobile noise in this part of the site.

Right: The main entry to the Recreation & Family Fun Center. In the foreground there are spaces for kids to play, with sports and exercise related programs toward the back of the image.

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Left: The site to the south of the Recreation Center consists of surface parking, outdoor basketball courts and the Medina Park. The park is a constructed wetland with integrated walking paths and seating areas. With careful plant selection, we hope to attract a host of wildlife that will have a positive impact on the area’s biodiversity and visitors’ wellbeing.

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Right: Views of facilities within the Recreation center

Basketball Court Entry

Indoor Basketball Courts

THE CRESCENTS

RECREATION & FAMILY FUN CENTER

Natatorium

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101

Tensile Canopy with Solar Membrane

Structural Space Frame

Steel Support Trusses

Concrete Columns

Phase 1 Seating for 1500 Top: East-West Section of the Recreation Center

Bottom: East Elevation of the Recreation Center

THE CRESCENTS

Right: Stadium seating and photovoltaic canopy diagram

RECREATION & FAMILY FUN CENTER

Left: Program Diagram

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chapter five data

DATA

The table on the right is a comparative study of the proposals by the two teams and gives a quick overview of the areas of the spaces and number of parking spaces available on site. The individual spaces vary in size, but the overall numbers are comparable.

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Square Footages (sq. ft.)

Main Prayer Hall

21,870

26,700

24,285

Atrium

6,100

11,000

8,550

Ablutions

2,790

4,000

3,395

Event Space

9,000

21,000

15,000

12,500

17,400

14,950

Museum

3,000

5,200

4,100

Small Prayer

1,620

6,000

3,810

Office Space

2,840

1,220

2,030

Imam's Residence

2,840

1,200

2,020

3,000

3000

32,350 62,560

11,250 96,720

21,800 79,640

Halal Market

12,565

6,450

9,508

Bakery & Deli

6,130

4,500

5,315

89,100

86,200

87,650

6,350

50,875

28,613

11,860

31,730

21,795

18,600

18,600

22,440

14,590

18,515

Information Center

3,155

2,725

2,940

Hookah Bar

3,450

3,000

3,225

Restaurants

23,750

26,850

25,300

Traditional Souk

7,125

32,200

19,663

Tented Courtyard

11,085

Natural Courtyard

6,580

Islamic College

Daycare Courtyards Mosque Total

Souk District

Commercial Space Housing Senior Housing Hospice Bookstore

Eid Courtyard Inn

8,000

Movie Theatre Farmer's Market Souk Total

2,000 203,590

Recreation Recreation Facility District Soccer Field

59,800

Crescents Average

395

242

319 538

825

1,290

1058

11,085 16,500

11,540

18,700

18,700

24,500

16,250

35,000

35,000

5,300

3,650

372,420 288,005

62500

61,150

157,840

86,400 122,119

Rec Total

217,640

148900 183,269

300

371

336 335

Total

483,790

618,040 550,914

1,520

1,903

1,712 1393

PARKING, PEOPLE & SPACE

Mosque District

Crescents Average Minarets

DATA

Minarets

Parking

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chapter six conclusion

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CO NCLU S I O N

It is often the case that architectural studios deal strictly with the theoretical. Working with an actual client, let alone a prominent religious leader in an academic setting has been a rare opportunity and a privilege.

Four months were spent immersed in studies of the cultural and spiritual traditions that for many of us were previously unknown. Developing cultural competencies in a studio composed of students from different backgrounds has been a tremendous learning experience.

Designing a sacred space demands one be intimately familiar with the spiritual traditions and rituals of the religion. Designing a mosque was not just an architectural challenge, it encouraged students to engage with previously unexplored issues of spirituality and culture. Translating these ethereal qualities into physical spaces required a rigorous understanding of customs and the desire for equality and inclusion that are inherent in Islam.

The Grand Mosque and Medina offers a unique Middle Eastern-inspired experience which will attract people from all over the country. The iconic centerpiece of the project is the Mosque, that will likely be the largest in North America. Its contemporary dome in conjunction with the distinctive minaret signals the presence of a sacred space. The Medina, comprised of a large Souk and a Recreation Complex, is a regional destination for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The two proposals outlined in this book are visions of what this site could become. We hope that our work provides a foundation for the community to move forward. This site represents an opportunity to reach out to people of all walks of life, promoting greater understanding and cross-cultural experiences while providing a fantastic place in which to pray.

-Najah Bazzy RN

Global Transcultural Specialist

CONCLUSION

“The Mosque project pulls together the mosaic of Islam with the mosaic of Detroit. This vision joins a people of faith with a city of hope to create a national icon reflective of the past, present and future.�

FINAL THOUGHTS

-Alexander Hokkanen and Salma Teekay

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