Integrated Design Report, Aberdeen Mosque

Aberdeen Mosque Andrew Ng

Introduction 1. Islam and the Mosque 2. Aberdeen 3. A Mosque in the West 4. Architecture and Technology

Introduction

The Mosque Typology and Contemporary Architecture Noha Nasser (2005) writes that, ‘the architecture of the British mosque is yet to mature’. This is perhaps unsurprising given that the introduction of mosque buildings to the UK is relatively recent. Our cities are littered with the spires of churches, not minarets. Mosque buildings in the Middle East and Asia rely heavily on a symbolic architecture. Minarets, arches, symmetry, and applied ornamentation – in the form of Islamic pattern – define the typological language of the traditional mosque. This decorative and symbolic architecture does not sit easily within the realms of the simpler language of contemporary architecture that is commonly found across Western Europe. As a result mosque buildings in the UK, while reading symbollically in line with the Isamic architecture of the Middle East, look alien in the context of the architecture of the West.

Bonta writes in Architecture and its Interpretation (1979) that: Forms only speak because of their position within a certain system – in other terms, because of relations of opposition or similarity established with other forms. Taken out of context, forms convey no meaning. Placed in a different context they may convey a different meaning.

The city of Aberdeen is far removed from the cultural and aesthetic contexts of traditional Islamic architecture. The form of the traditional mosque in the context of the UK would read more as a institution removed from the city as a whole, not part of the city as a whole. The challenge is very much to create a mosque building that respects and evokes a similar atosphere of the traditional mosque typology, while finding a balance aesthetically with the context of European contemporary architectre. In doing so, there lies an interesting academic and architectural problem of what the nature of a mosque in the west is and how it can be relevant to both Islamic culture and Western culture.

The Evolving Functions of the Mosque Aside from the form and aesthetic of a mosque building, the role of the mosque as an institution within the city is changing. There is a desire to create a building that is in the city and for the city – not solely a place for worship. Mosques in the UK host open days, school visits, and house cafes open to the public. These functions are, however, contradictory in many ways to the religious functions of the mosque – study, prayer, and a focus on God. Bringing these different functions together in a way that enhances the experience of attending the mosque (for prayer or other activities) can be seen is an opportunity to create a dynamic building that is appropriate for Islam and the UK in the 21st century.

1 Islam and the Mosque

Function.

Symbolism.

Interpretation.

Functions of a Mosque

The core functions of the mosque are religious, although increasingly more in the UK they are becoming centres for community, education, and outreach.

Prayer There are 5 calls to prayer each day: 1st prayer (Subh), 2nd prayer (Dhuhr), 3rd (Asr), 4th (Maghrib), 5th (Ishaa).

It must not be possible for men to see women praying hence there are normally seperate prayer halls for men and women. As it is only compulsary for men to pray at the mosque, the prayer hall for men is normally much larger than that for women.

Shoes are removed before prayer.

Following this Wudu must be performed - cleaning the hands, feet, and face in the ablution facilities (either a specific ablution area or the WC).

Prayer always takes place facing Mecca. It is important to stand in rows shoulder-to-shoulder to show that all are equal. There is a gap between rows however to allow space to move as required for the prayers.

The prayer movement involves a bow (back straight, hands on knees), before returning to a standing position; then a kneeling position, touching your hands to the floor; before rising to a sitting (kneeling) position. The number of prostations varies dependant on which prayer it is. Phones, keys, and other objects in pockets are placed in front of you so they don’t fall out during prayer.

First prayer (Fajr) you go up and down (raakat) 2 times, 2nd (Zuhr) & 3rd (Asr) are four times, 4th (Magrib) is three and 5th (Isha) is 4. The Imam leads the prayers standing in the Minbar.

After the prayer some people stay to pray more or read. You can come in and pray independently between the different calls to prayer.

Friday prayers, the Zuhr Jamat, are particulary important. You do only two raakats but before there’s a talk from the Imman. The Imam stans in the Minbar and delivers a speech for about half an hour.

Aqiqa The first haircut for a human has special significance in certain cultures and religions. It can be considered a rite of passage or a milestone.

Shaving the child’s head then anointing the child’s head with saffron is very beneficial.

It is then prescribed to give in charity gold or silver equal in weight to the hair. This does not have to be done by actually weighing the hair.

If it is too difficult to do that, it is sufficient to estimate the weight and give paper currency equivalent to the price of that amount of gold or silver.

Janazah (funarary rites) Salat al-Janazah is the Islamic funeral prayer, a part of the Islamic funeral ritual. The prayer is performed in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and all dead Muslims. The Salat al-Janazah is a collective obligation upon Muslims (fard Kifayah). If some Muslims take the responsibility of doing it, the obligation is fulfilled, but if no-one fulfils it then all Muslims will be held accountable.

In all cases, Sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for a simple ritual involving bathing and shrouding the body, followed by salah (prayer), before burial of the body. Cremation of the body is forbidden.

Burial rituals should normally take place as soon as possible and include generally are as follows: Bathing the dead body, except in extraordinary circumstances as in following the battle of Uhud.

In the UK, due to the relatively small nature of the mosques, the bathing of the body often takes place in the ablutions facilities. If the deceased is male, the body must be washed by men only; and if the deceased is female, by females only.

Enshrouding the dead body in a white cotton or linen cloth. The deceased may be kept in this state for several hours before burial, allowing well-wishers to pass on their respects and condolences.

The funeral prayer where Muslims of the community gather to offer their collective prayers for the forgiveness of the dead. These prayers, as always, are carried out following ablutions and facing towards Mecca.

Burial of the dead body in a grave. The exact manner, customs and style of the grave, the burial and so forth varies by regional custom.

The grave should be aligned perpendicular to the Qibla wall (i.e.

Mecca). Ideally the body is placed in the grave without a casket, lying on its right side, and facing the Qibla.

In the UK it is not legal to perform a burial without a casket.

Nikah (weddings) In Islam, marriage is a contract between a man and woman to live as husband and wife. A formal, binding contract is considered integral to a religiously valid Islamic marriage and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom and bride. The marriage must be declared publicly. Divorce is permitted.

Islam recommends marriage, with the age of marriage being whenever the individuals feel ready; financially and emotionally. Polygyny (a man with more than one wife) is permitted in Islam under some conditions, but polyandry (a woman with more than one husband) is forbidden.

The Qur’an tells believers that even if they are poor they should marry to protect themselves from immorality.

Architectural Elements of a Mosque

The architecture of mosque buildings varies significantly dependant on geographical location. The required architectural elements of the mosque are listed below: Qibla Wall

A wall orientated perpendicular to the direction of Mecca as an orientation for prayer.

Mihrab

A semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla.

Traditionally this was used for acoustic purposes to allow the Imam to project his voice during prayers; however beyond the requirement to identify the qibla wall, in the UK the mihrab is purely symbolic.

Minbar

The pulpit in the mosque where the imam (prayer leader) stands to deliver sermons (khutbah) during Friday prayers. Some minbars are “built-in” to the prayer hall, while others are free-standing pieces of furniture.

Ablution Facilities

As ritual purification precedes all prayers, mosques often have ablution fountains or other facilities for washing in their entryways or courtyards. However, worshippers at much smaller mosques often have to use restrooms to perform their ablutions. In traditional mosques, this function is often elaborated into a freestanding building in the centre of a courtyard. This desire for cleanliness extends to the prayer halls where shoes are disallowed to be worn anywhere other than the cloakroom. Thus, foyers with shelves to put shoes and racks to hold coats are commonplace among mosques

Other, non-core, architectural elements of the mosque are listed below: Minaret

A distinct architectural features of Islamic mosques, minarets are a tower marking the location of the mosque in the city and are traditionallu used for the call to prayer.

Domes

Domes, often placed directly above the main prayer hall, signify heaven and the sky. Outdoor prayer has particular significane in Islam although due to weather and cold, this rarely takes place in the UK.

Maq’ad

A sitting area adjoining a courtyard - common in mosques throughout the Middle East.

Arabesque

In traditional Islamic art, an artistic motif recognized by a repetition of geometry and often derived from plant forms.

Mashrabiyyah

A timber lattice screen, often used to seperate men and women dring prayers.

Outline of Possible Accomodation

Car parking

Use the nearby public car park (see Location Information).

Residence for the Imam

200sqm

A small flat with direct access to the moque building.

Main Prayer Hall

Quibla wall must be orientated towards Mecca. Merhab. Minbar.

Bookshelves for copies of the Quran. Prayer time displays.

Mens Hall 200sqm Womans Hall 80sqm (to be located above the mens hall)

Small storeroom for chairs 10sqm Control Room for AV 10sqm TOTAL 290sqm

Ablution Facilities

To serve the prayer halls.

Male Ablution 40sqm Female Ablution 20sqm

TOTAL 60sqm

Education

For teaching of the Qu’ran, visits by schools, and community outreach.

These rooms should allow for flexible use.

Teaching Room 50sqm Library and Reading Room 100sqm Public Exhibition / Presentation Space 100sqm Storeroom 20sqm

TOTAL 270sqm

Mortuary 40sqm A small space for the preparation of the dead.

Toilets Male Toilets 30sqm Female Toilets 30sqm

TOTAL 60sqm

Administration

For the running of the mosque to include space for meetings, counselling, and presentations.

Office 50sqm Meeting Room 20sqm Storage for charitable collections

30sqm

TOTAL 100sqm

Event

Space that can hold gatherings for weddings, the breaking of the fast during Ramadan, and celebrations at Eid. Multipurpose Hall 250sqm Kitchen use cafe kitchen TOTAL 250sqm

Cafe and Retail

Both the mosques at Edinburgh and Dundee have a cafe / restaurant that helps to generate funds for the activities of the mosque and serves as a key point of engagement with the local community. Retail is less significant as it has does not have a community focus in the same way as a cafe does.

Public CafĂŠ 80sqm Kitchen 30sqm Toilets 10sqm Retail Unit 40sqm (perhaps a halal food shop) Stockroom 10sqm Retail Unit 40sqm (perhaps a bookshop) Stockroom 10sqm TOTAL 220sqm In addition there must be provision for a plant room, cleaning cupboard, and if there are external spaces, storage for equipment to maintain these.

The journey to the prayer hall is significant and hence circulation could become up to 30% of the overall building area. Space for shoe storage must be included in the circulation.

Total area of the spaces listed is 1490sqm.

The site area is approximately 1663sqm.

The Mosque in a British City

Information compiled following additional research including visits to the mosques in Dundee and Edinburgh, and conversations with muslims in the UK, Istanbul, and Malaysia.

Community Integration

The mosque must embed itself in to the community. This is not a building standing aloof and apart from the city of Aberdeen, but is a place to reach out and integrate within the community. It is a place to serve as a catalyst for community engagement. The Muslim community see outreach as a key part of what they do so as to create a better understanding of Islam as a faith and remove pre-conceptions that people have about the religion. Public and outreach spaces are of significant importance and should engage with the street. The mosque may become a community hub for that part of the city.

The site in Aberdeen is in close proximity to several schools - during their lunch break many of the school kids and teenagers eat in the area.

The creation of a mosque here has the opportunity to provide healthy food at a cafe - perhaps in a similar vein to the “Mosque Kitchen” in Edinburgh - and hence serve the community. There is, however, potentially a contradiction – the prayer space should be one of calm and reflection, perhaps secluded from the bustle of the street.

External Spaces and the Public Realm

Nature is important in Islam and a key feature of many mosques are courtyads - often open to the public. The creation of an external space couold make a positive contribution to the urban fabric of Aberdeen and provide additional opportunities for community outreach and engagement. How the external space is used should be carefully considered. The inclusion of an Asian market or café, with external terrace, could help to bring life to the external spaces. Extending the public realm can contribute to the desire that the mosque should be integrated in to the community.

Also of importance is the relationship between the street, (busy) road, and any new public spaces introduced as part of the design. Is it more beneficial to create a “hidden garden” or to create space that is an extension to the pavement? External spaces may provide thresholds and act as a mediator between the very public street and the more secluded prayer hall.

The Mosque Building

Some thoughts on the nature of the mosque building.

Hierarchies of Space

Of fundamental importance to the function of the Mosque is the prayer hall which must have a wall (the Qibla wall) that is orientated towards Mecca. The clashing geometry that this orientation creates will need to be resolved – this part of Aberdeen has quite a rigid city grid.

The circulation to the prayer hall is of significant interest architecturally and must incorporate an area for ablutions.

In addition to prayer, there are a significant number of other functions that must be accommodated. I consider religious functions to be of primary importance and public-facing (community) spaces to be of secondary importance.

Public and Private Spaces

The brief includes public, semi-public, and private spaces. Public spaces are those that are open to everybody (retail, café) or used for community outreach / engagement. I have taken semi-public spaces as those used by those attending the mosque for prayer and other religious activities (teaching of the Qu’ran, etc.). The semi-public spaces are extensive and vary significantly in their functions, ranging from prayer halls to library / reading space. Private spaces are primarily those that house the supporting functions (office, storage).

Circulation

The circulation for this building will include public, semi-public (which will at times need to split in to male and female), and private spaces. There is a need at times to maintain a separation between the public access (café, education, etc.) and circulation relating to the prayer halls. The semi-public circulation may become complex due to the range of spaces it must include.

The approach to the prayer halls is of particular interest and should be more than simply an entrance, but instead a route allowing space to reflect before prayers.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a significant issue throughout architecture today.

Similarly in Islam, nature and preserving creation is important. The mosque building should therefore have stringent environmental controls to minimise the environmental cost of maintaining and running the building.

The Dundee mosque also utilises the spaces in the building for a number of different purposes so a degree of flexibility in the building is important. This also contributes to longer-term sustainability. In the future parts of the building may need to house different functions from which they were originally designed for.

2 Aberdeen Sites.

Analysis

Reactions.

Location Information

Satellite Image of Aberdeen Location of sites highlighted in red.

There has been human settlement in the region of Aberdeen for over 8000 years. The city today is an amalgamation of two burghs, Old Aberdeen at the mouth of the River Don and New Aberdeen at the mouth of the River Dee. The location of our sites is off the West end of Union Street. Completed in 1805, Union Street bridged the Denburn Valley to facilitate the expansion of the city to the West.

Since the discovery of North Sea Oil in 1969, the city has developed rapidly. Union Street remains the central “spine� through the city and tthe surrounding streets house a range of shops, restaurants, bars, and offices.

Three Sites

CAD Drawing showing 3 potential sites The sites range from “introverted” with very little street frontage to “extroverted” - the site on the corner.

Conservation Zone Drawing showing the extents of the conservation zone. around Union Street.

The Corner Site

Public Car Park

Union Street

Satallite Image of Site Site highlighted in red. Union Street and public car park marked.

Existing Elevations

Direction of Mecca

Site Plan To allow for the creation of a mosque, the existing buildings on the site will be cleared. As previously noted, the site is outside the conservation zone.

Key Photographs Above: The current approach in to the site.

Below: the Holiday Inn Expess to the East of the site.

The Expression of the Corner

Street corner in Barcelona The site is located on the corner of a relatively busy junction. This presents the opportunity to celebrate the mosque in a prominent position on the corner, perhaps with a minaret, or to suppress the prominence of mosque while still allowing for a cermonial entrance on the corner.

Panorama showing current street frontage at the corner of the site. Site highlighted in red.

Retreat from the City

Treptow Cremetorium Axel Schultes Great things are done when men and mountains meet. This is not done by jostling in the street.

-William Blake What is striking about the site in its current state is that the gardens behind the street-facade (shown in the image below) are quiet and calming - a stark contrast to the noise and movement of the road.

Something of this relationship between enclosure, retreat, nature; and the emotional response it solicites is not dissimilar to that of the churches in Rome, or the mosques in Istanbul.

The gardens “hidden� behind the street-facing buildings.

3 A Mosque in the West

Creating religious spaces.

Design strategy.

Light as ornamentation.

Creating Religious Spaces

Rossi (1982) asserts that, ‘typology is an element that plays its own role in constituting form; it is a constant’. Indeed, looking at the mosques in Edinburgh or Dundee, the nature of the building is immeidately obvious from the form and aesthetic. However when the typology of an individual building is “alien” to the geographic location - as that of a mosque is in the UK - it is not always appropriate to create a building that reads through typology. In the case of the mosque, where the core functions are of a religious nature, the question of what defines a religious space becomes central to the development of the architectural ideas.

Looking to religion as a driver for architectural intent, there is a synergy between religion and the natural environment. In Christianity, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receieve the 10 commandments from God and Jesus retreated to an orchard to pray before the Cruxifiction. In Islam the prophet Muhammed retreated from the city to a cave where the Quran was revealed to him. This idea of retreat from the city is commonly interpreted in religious architecture - monasteries look in to enclosed courtyards and mosques are built amongst gardens and hidden behind walls or courtyards.

The relationship between Islam and nature is closely intertwined with regard to traditional Islamic art and architecture. The decorative motifs commonly found in Islamic art and buildings are abstracted from flowers and plants. Traditional mosques often feature courtyards, trees, and fountains.

The Pantheon, Rome

Nature and Religion

Mountains In Asia, temples are built in to mountains, not to for protection but because of The Egyptians built pyramids (as did numerous other cultures), their own man-made mountains. In the case of the Aztecs, their pyramids were used solely for religious purposes.

Caves Mohammad received the scriptures of the Quran when he retreated to a cave.

Across Asia, caves have been adapted to house temples.

The Romans built the pantheon – a perfect sphere, in some ways reminiscent of a large cave.

Forests Jesus went to pray in an orchard before he was arrested and crucified.

The classical orders adorning temples in antiquity were decorated with plants.

Studies in Istanbul Enclosure and Threshold The mosque is a retreat from the bustle of the city. Layers of enclosure form thresholds in the approach to the prayer hall.Gardens feature prominnetly as a mediator space, often enclosed by a perforated wall, as shown in the photo on the right.

Entry Spaces The journey to prayer is important in Islam. Larger mosques often have several doors leading through different external spaces before reaching the prayer hall.

Shown on the right is the entry to the main courtyard of a mosque.

Courtyard The final enclosure in the approach to the prayer hall, a courtyard mediated between entry in every mosque of scale.

These courtyards vary considerably, from those planted with trees to those fully paved (as shown). All had a water feature central ablutions or a fountain.

The Prayer Hall The culmination of the journey from the street is the prayer hall. A space of calm, far removed from the noise and movement of the city, this is somewhere to slow down, reflect, and of course, to pray.

This space is very much the “centrepiece� in any mosque and should be celebrated as such.

Journey to Prayer

Informed by research in to Islam, key reactions to the site, and learning from the architecture of the mosques in Istanbul, the following outline key thresholds that could become part of a journey from street to prayer hall. These principles have guided the design of the circulation to reach the prayer hall.

Mediator

Approaching the prayer space, there is protection from the street – a mediator space, perhaps a courtyard – that instils calmness. The speed of life changes from a purposeful walk along the street to relaxed movement in to a sacred space. This is the first threshold: from exposure to protection.

Light and Shadow

Moving into the building, shadow and light will define a journey to the ablution spaces. There will be limited, if any, views out to the street – the journey to the prayer space will be one of reflection without distraction. This is the second threshold: the tensions between light and shade creating space for reflection.

Water

Next the ablution space – perhaps a room, or perhaps part of the circulation to the prayer room. Here there will be full isolation from the sounds of the street. This is the third threshold space: water and the sound of the movement of water, the cleansing before prayer.

Approach

Finally there will be an ascent or a descent – the act of moving up or down to the prayer room. This is the final threshold: an intentional movement – more than simply opening a door – in to the prayer room.

Conceptual photomontage - a natural retreat in the city of Aberdeen.

Design Strategy

1 Follow the Street Edge Create enclosure and re-enforce the street edge by building up around the site boundary. This allows for the creation of a “sanctuary” within the site area – somewhere to retreat to away from the street. The mosque will embed itself in the city fabric, becoming both a part of the city and a retreat from the city.

2 Carve out a Courtyard The earliest sketches for the design were driven by two key factors: a response to the urban context and the desire to create meaningful external spaces. In traditional mosque architecture the journey to prayer often goes from street, to a mediator space – perhaps a courtyard – before entering the building. This creates a series of thresholds, moving progressively away from the street towards a space of worship and prayer.

Wrapping building around the site perimeter responds to the urban fabric of Aberdeen, while creating a courtyard becomes the retreat from the city. It is a shift from the pace of the road, to that of nature; in the vein of entering a forest, before going to pray.

3 Invert the Courtyard The part of the building enclosing the site is orientated - on the ground floor - towards the street. The courtyard space is carved out of this and re-interpreted for the Scottish climate to become an enclosed court. This key space markes the shift in geometry from that of the street - of Aberdeen - to that of Mecca - of worship. Nature continues to play an important part, with planted triangulated courts surrounding the key spaces of the building. These also accommodate the shift in geometry around the edges of the site.

4 Realign Gemetry Choosing to “embrace contradiction as well as complexity� (Venturi, 1966), the mosque spaces are effectively carved out of and bult in to the city grid. The perimeter accomodation responds gemoterically to the street while the main spaces of the mosque are obviously orientated towards Meeca. This shift from street to religious is enhanced through a series of thresholds of increasing scale (both in terms of room area and height): the small entrance chamber, the main entry court, and finally the prayer hall itself.

5 Isolate the Prayer Hall The prayer hall is isolated from the street edge and elevated above the ground plane. This allows the free-flowing space of the ground floor to be dominated by nature on multiple sides by engaging with the triangulated courts, and hence emphasising the shift from city to nature.

6 Focus on God The roof of the prayer hall is glazed, opening the room up to the skies in the tradition of religious buildings having an inherent focus “upwards�. This shift from engagement with nature in the entry court on the ground level, to engagement with the sky in the prayer hall, completes the movement from city, to nature, to sacred.

Plan Level 0 1:500

8

9

12

10

7

11 5

6

13 1

4 3

14 15

2

Ground Floor 1. Entrance court 2. Public cafe 3. Retail unit 4. Retail unit 5. Library / multipurpose 6. Education / outreact 7. Plant 8. Education / meeting

9. Mortuary 10. WC 11. WC 12. Fire stair / private stair for mourners 13. Fire stair 14. Entry to imam’s residence 15. Kitchen

Plan Level 1 1:500

4

3 2

5

1

6

7

First Floor 1. Male prayer hall 2. Male shoe storage 3. Male ablutions 4. Male WC 5. Eductaion / meeting 6. Office 7. Imam’s residence

PRODUCED BY

ESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Plan Level 2 1:500

5 1

2 4

3

Second Floor 1. Female prayer hall 2. Female shoe storage 3. Female ablutions 4. Female WC 5. Water tank

The prayer hall is clearly visible as an “object� elevated above the open ground floor and distinguised by the cladding of green ceramic tiles. A ceremonial stair invites the worshippers to ascend towards this secluded sanctuary of God.

One of the key sections through the building, this drawing show illustrated the relationship between the entrance court, the external spaces, and the prayer hall.

The Entrance Court

Section A-A 1:200

In recognition of the importance of the space as the first entrance space to the mosque, the key retreat from the city, the roof structure mimics that of the prayer hall.

This section illustrated the relationship between two key spaces in the building - the entry court and the prayer hall. The entry court is the main orientation space. It is the first space to be orientated towards Mecca as opposed to the city grid. To one side the prayer hall is supended above a free-flowing ground floor plan, and to the other side the “backs� of the street-facing accomodation that forms the key enclosure to the site creates a visual tension.

The Isolation of the Prayer Hall

Section B-B 1:200

Section C-C 1:200

The Prayer Hall

A split level room, the prayer hall is the culmination of a journey through the building.

In contrast to the entry space and the route taken through the building which are very much grounded in the triangulated courts and engage with nature and the ground; the prayer hall is inherently focussed “upwards” in the tradition of mosque and church buildings.

A concrete waffle slab spans the hall, through which the sky is visible - an intentional shift from the world around, to the sky and God. This also evokes ideas of praying outside – something that is spiritually significant in Islam.

A section through the prayer hall is shown on the next page. The men pray in the lower, and much larger, part of the hall and the women pray on the balcony. Unlike some mosques in the UK where the women pray in a completely separate room, this arrangement meets the requirement for separation between men and women, while also allowing the women to be fully involved in the prayers. The hall is a relatively simple space – there is shelving for Qurans along the back wall and a simple Mehrab in the Qibla wall, behind which a Minbar is built-in. In contrast to the historic tradition of hypostyle mosques, the prayer hall is free of columns. The hypostyle hall, such as that of the mosque at Cordoba (shown below), emerged as a result of technological limitation and while there a typological affinity with Islam, holds is no real symbolic value. In the early mosques it simply was not possible to span the distances required to large enough prayer halls . While visually impressive, the hypostyle plan is prohibitive to one of the key aspects of Islamic prayer – standing shoulder to shoulder.

Regardless of job, income, or position in society, the act of standing side-by-side is an intentional act of equality amongst the Muslim congregation. An earlier design, heavily influenced by the hypostyle plan, flooded the site with columns, however given the technology available today it is appropriate to remove the columns and instead span the entire space without interruption.

Photo of the Mosque at Cordoba

A top-lit Minbar is built in to the Qibla wall.

Floating above the largely glazed floor, the prayer hall is not punctuated on any sides by windows. Instead, the focus shifts to the sky.

The Prayer Hall

Section D-D 1:200

Light as Ornamentation Without the inherent decorative value of a sea of columns in the prayer hall or the decorative mosaics of the mosques in Istanbul, the issue of how to evoke the qualities of a religious space become one of structure and light - “structure is light” (Kahn). Light is, historically, a key element of religious architecture.

What is significant about the prayer hall of a mosque is the repetitive use throughout the day for the different prayers. In creating a glazed waffle slab over the prayer hall, it is possible to use light as ornamentation, allowing the nature of the space to change as the light changes, from sunrise to sunset. This no means a new idea – the Pantheon in Rome captures the changing times of day with an almost ethereal quality – however there is something particularly harmonious about using the light of the sun to create an architecture that changes as the day passes and as each prayer passes. This decorative light creates patterns on the walls and floor of the prayer hall - a re-interpretation of the traditional patterned mosaics that is appropriate for our age in architecture. Where the mosques of Istanbul are ornamented with patterned tiles, this mosque in Aberdeen is ornamented with patterned light.

The brick wall enclosing the gardens of the mosque is wrapped around the ground floor of the building and punctured at regular intervals. Where there is a habitable room behind, this puncture is glazed; and where there is a servant space behind (plant, etc.) it is clad in the green ceramic tile of the prayer hall. A narrow band of green ceramic tiles (the same as are applied to the external surface of the prayer hall) separates the brick from the travertine cladding of the upper floors. The facade of the upper floors are puncture with windows the same height as those of the surrounding tenements, but of of a greater width to allow for more natural light in the building and as a response to the greater scale of the building. The windoes are held on the same grid horizontally, but shifted off-grid vertically to add visual interest. Behind this street facade the prayer hall, clad in matt-finish green ceramic tiles, is visible; a beacon in the city identifying the building, from the mass of buildings in the city, as a mosque.

The West Facade

West Elevation 1:200

South Elevation 1:200

4 Architecture and Technology

Building regulations.

Ventilation.

Structure and construction.

Fire and Escape

Fire Escape Diagram showing fire escape routes and enclosed fire stairs.

DDA and Access

DDA Access and Circulation Diagram showing key access and circulation routes in the building.

The main entrance provides level access. Once inside the building, green denotes circulation using a lift, blue denotes circulation using stairs.

Ventilation

Plant Room

Ventilation Schematic Basic diagram showing possible location of ventilation ducts. Blue indicates fresh air, red indicates stale air. Plant room marked.

Fresh air is marked in blue; stale air in red. The concrete waffle slab over the entrance court and prayer hall heats up through the glazed roof to assist the flow of air towards the extraction points.

Sectional Ventilation Diagram

The prayer hall is ventilated through displacement ventilation. Air is pushed through holes in the carpet and exptracted from the highest points in the room, above the structural waffle slab. The concrete waffle slab assists in the natural flow of air - the concrete mass gains heat in the sunlight throught the glazed roof, drawing air up before it is extracted.

Ventilating the Prayer Hall

Structure and Construction

Construction Details Draft construction details.

See wall presentation for final details.