Dissertation - Marium Al Khazaaly

Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Water in Islamic Architecture Interpretation of the utilisation of water as a contemporary design element within Islamic architecture, exclusively through the lens of the Abu Dhabi Louvre by Ateliers Jean Nouvel (c. 2017)

Marium Al Khazaaly Bachelor of Interior Architecture 2019 1

Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Abstract In different centuries and in different architectural styles (and thus regions), architects of the central lands of the Muslim world have played on the art and technique of building products, in both religious and secular systems, to convey the dialogue that exists between man, nature and architecture (Salimi & Pilehvarian 2016, p.58).

This has been particularly demonstrated through the use of water as an aesthetic and functional design element within the Islamic architecture of the central lands of the Muslim world spanning centuries of evolution and epochs of regional styles (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 23).

This dissertation will provide a broad historical and geographical overview of the context of Islamic architecture as a pre-cursor for the development of contemporary forms. In particular, their utilisation of water will be evaluated to draw conclusions on the cultural importance of the material and the manner in which it has been represented in new forms.

Furthermore, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will be provided as the pinnacle exemplification of modern Islamic architecture utilising water functionally and aesthetically not physically bound by traditional imagery and motifs.

Ultimately, this dissertation hopes to address the manner in which water could be utilised today to attain more environmentally viable methods of passive building design.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Acknowledgments Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) Throughout the writing of this dissertation I have received a great deal of support and assistance. I would first like to thank my assigned supervisor, Laurence Kimmel, for her continual encouragement throughout the semester and insightful expertise that was invaluable in the formulating of the research topic and methodology in particular. I would also like to thank her for personally photographing the Abu Dhabi Louvre for my reference.

I would also like to acknowledge the co-ordinating director of this unit, Sing D’Arcy, for his wonderful collaboration and mentorship. You have supported us greatly and were always willing to share your time in helping us hone and perfect the topics at hand. In addition, I would like to thank my parents and family for their wise advice and sympathetic ear. Finally, my friends, who provided great support to help rest my mind outside of research.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

List of Illustrations CH1 FIGURE 1 DOME OF THE ROCK, JERUSALEM, ABD AL-MALIK IBN MARWAN, UMAYYAD CALIPHATE 687-91 (SOURCE: MOFFETT, M, FAZIO M & WODEHOUSE, L 2003, A WORLD HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE, P. 155). .............................................................................................. 7 CH1 FIGURE 2 INTERIOR OF DOME OF THE ROCK, JERUSALEM, ABD AL-MALIK IBN MARWAN, UMAYYAD CALIPHATE 687-91 (SOURCE: MOFFETT, M, FAZIO M & WODEHOUSE, L 2003, A WORLD HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE, P. 155). ............................................................................................ 7 CH1 FIGURE 3 AXONOMETRIC SECTION OF THE DOME OF THE ROCK, JERUSALEM, 687-91 (SOURCE: MOFFETT, M, FAZIO M & WODEHOUSE, L 2003, A WORLD HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE, P. 155). ............................................................................................................................ 7 CH1 FIGURE 4 MAP OF THE SPREAD OF ISLAM 622-750 CE (SOURCE: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 2001, CAMBRIDGE, USA, ACCESSED 14-05-19, <HTTP://WEB.MIT.EDU>) ........................................................................................................................................... 8 CH1 FIGURE 5 FLOOR PLAN, GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS, SYRIA 715, AL-WALID I (SOURCE: PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, DATE UNKNOWN, ACCESSED 14-05-19, <HTTP://WWW.SELCUKLUMIRASI.COM/ARCHITECTURE-DETAIL/DAMASCUS-UMAYYAD-MOSQUE>) ................... 9 CH1 FIGURE 6 SAHN GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS, SYRIA 715, AL-WALID I (SOURCE: PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, DATE UNKNOWN, ACCESSED 14-05-19, <HTTP://WWW.SELCUKLUMIRASI.COM/ARCHITECTURE-DETAIL/DAMASCUS-UMAYYAD-MOSQUE>) .................................. 9 CH1 FIGURE 7 THE GREAT MOSQUE OR MASJID- E JAMEH, ISFAHAN, IRAN 8TH CENTURY. PHOTO: REIBAI 2011. (SOURCE: DALAL, R 2011, THE GREAT MOSQUE OF ISFAHAN, KHAN ACADEMY, ACCESSED 14-05-19, < HTTPS://WWW.KHANACADEMY.ORG/HUMANITIES/AP-ART-HISTORY/WEST-ANDCENTRAL-ASIA/A/THE-GREAT-MOSQUE-OR-MASJID-E-JAMEH-OF-ISFAHAN>). .................................................................................... 10 CH2 FIGURE 8 INTERIOR OF THE ABU DHABI LOUVRE, JEAN NOUVEL, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2019. PHOTO: LAURENCE KIMMEL 2019. ..................... 11 CH 2 FIGURE 9 UNDER THE DOME OF THE ABU DHABI LOUVRE, JEAN NOUVEL, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2019. PHOTO: LAURENCE KIMMEL 2019. ......... 12 CH2 FIGURE 10 EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE ABU DHABI LOUVRE, JEAN NOUVEL, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2019. PHOTO: LAURENCE KIMMEL 2019. ............ 13 CH2 FIGURE 11 WATER CHANNELS THROUGH THE ABU DHABI LOUVRE, JEAN NOUVEL, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2019. PHOTO: LAURENCE KIMMEL 2019. .................................................................................................................................................................................. 14 CH3 FIGURE 12 THE GREAT SHEIK ZAYED FRIDAY MOSQUE, ABU DHABI, YOUSEF ABDELKY 2007. (SOURCE: SAOUD, R 2008, SHEIK ZAYED GREAT MOSQUE IN ABU DHABI: ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, ACCESSED 20-05-19, <HTTP://MUSLIMHERITAGE.COM/ARTICLE/SHEIKH-ZAYEDGREAT-MOSQUE-ABU-DHABI-ISLAMIC-ARCHITECTURE-21ST-CENTURY>). ........................................................................................ 16 CH3 FIGURE 13 THE GREAT SHEIK ZAYED FRIDAY MOSQUE, ABU DHABI, YOUSEF ABDELKY 2007. (SOURCE: SAOUD, R 2008, SHEIK ZAYED GREAT MOSQUE IN ABU DHABI: ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, ACCESSED 20-05-19, <HTTP://MUSLIMHERITAGE.COM/ARTICLE/SHEIKH-ZAYEDGREAT-MOSQUE-ABU-DHABI-ISLAMIC-ARCHITECTURE-21ST-CENTURY>). ........................................................................................ 17

Table of Contents Introduction

5

Chapter 1

6 – 10

Chapter 2

11 – 15

Chapter 3

16 – 18

Conclusion

19

List of References

20 - 21

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Introduction In different centuries and in different architectural styles (and thus regions), architects of the central lands of the Muslim world have played on the art and technique of building products, in both religious and secular systems, to convey the dialogue that exists between man, nature and architecture (Salimi & Pilehvarian 2016, p.58). This has been particularly demonstrated through the use of water as an aesthetic and functional design element within the Islamic architecture of the central lands of the Muslim world. The philosophy of water in Islamic theology primarily focuses on its life-giving, sustaining and purifying qualities (ibid).

The use of water as a design element in Islamic architecture has spanned centuries of evolution and epochs of regional styles (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 23). The permeance of water in the Islamic built form should not be considered as merely a functional addition to architecture and design, but rather beheld as an integral part of both religious and secular systems –morphing the aesthetics of landscapes and breathing an aura of new life into structures (Shakhs, A & Ezzat, M 2018). For the purpose of this dissertation, the historical context of early Islamic architecture will be explored as a framework for the later development of contemporary interpretations, and in particular, their utilisation of water as an interior design element.

Chapter one of this dissertation will establish the broad geographical contours of Islamic architecture drawing relationships between the design of new Islamic forms, particularly mosque architecture, and the traditional structures of the Near East. In detail it cover the geographical spread of the religion inclusive of the years between the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE and the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate towards the end of the Islamic Golden Age in 1258 CE. A brief comparison of the iconic Friday Mosques at Damascus and Isfahan will provide an overview of the architectural styles that existed according to regional divisions.

Progressing, chapter two will concentrate solely on the Abu Dhabi Louvre by Ateliers John Nouveal as a contemporary interpretation of its aforementioned primitive archetypes. Particularly, the Louvre’s utilisation of water as an architectural design element will be reviewed on the basis of developing an enhanced understanding of the purposes served by the natural element in the design and articulation of Islamic architecture, be it functional, aesthetic or symbolic and if this has changed throughout the course of time. Equally, the extent to which water forms part of the ‘contemporary’ manipulation of materials in Jean Nouvel’s take on Islamic architecture will help broaden the understanding of its passive design benefits for use in other secular buildings world-wide.

Chapter three will conclude the dissertation by providing a case study review of the Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque of Abu Dhabi. As a point of comparison, the Abu Dhabi Friday Mosque will be presented to draw conclusions on the various approaches that contemporary architecture has materialised so as to belong to its religion whilst also providing for an all-inclusive modern civilisation. Furthermore, it will help define the multitudinous role of the use of water as an interior architectural element, that is aesthetically to reflect the surrounding environment for visual emphasis, practically to provide natural cooling systems in hot climates and symbolically to represent external purification, all whilst bringing the user into ritual contact with the architecture itself.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Chapter One

Historical and geographical context of Islamic architecture: 632 – 1258 CE

The first House of God to be set up for men was at Bakkah [Mecca] the blessed, a guidance for the people of the world.

It contains clear signs, and the spot where Abraham had stood.

And anyone who enters it will find security.

And whosoever can afford should visit the House on a pilgrimage as duty to God. (Qur’an 3:96–97).

The historical and geographical contours of Islamic architecture have spanned periods of Islamic ascendance and dominance claiming vast terrains, artistic traditions and cultural divisions (National Gallery of Art Washington 2004, p. 8). During the first three centuries of its perpetuation, the development of Islamic architecture and the architectural decoration of the central lands of the Muslim world were heavily influenced by the encounter of the new Muslim faith with the ancient traditions of the Near East (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 23). For the purpose of this dissertation, the historical context of early Islamic architecture will be explored as a framework for the later development of contemporary interpretations, and in particular, their utilisation of water as an interior design element. Fundamentally, this chapter will detail the geographical spread of the religion inclusive of the years between the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE and the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate towards the end of the Islamic Golden Age in 1258 CE. A brief comparison of the iconic Friday Mosques at Damascus and Isfahan will provide an overview of the architectural styles that existed according to regional divisions.

Islamic architecture came into existence following the year of the Hijra in 622 CE when Prophet Muhammed, left Mecca to establish the first Islamic state in Medina, Saudi Arabia (National Gallery of Art Washington 2004, p. 8). The private house of the Prophet, Al-Masjid an Nabawi (also known as the Prophets Mosque), was constructed at the time as the only common, political and spiritual Islamic building (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 17). Early Islamic architecture continued to multiply throughout the seventh and eighth centuries trailing significant political, social and economic developments of Islamic civilisations (ibid). There exists, however, an occasionally ‘discordant confusion’ surrounding the origins and meaning of the word ‘Islamic’ when applied to architecture (ibid). German and French Islamic art historians, respectively, Richard Ettinghausen (1906-1979) and Oleg Grabar (1929-2011), have agreed that Islamic architecture could be defined by the range of architectural styles of buildings ‘made by or for people who lived under rulers that professed the faith of Islam’ or ‘in social and cultural entities which have been strongly influenced by the modes of life and thought characteristics of Islam’ (ibid). The design of early Islamic architecture has, therefore, always been contingent on the geographical spread of the religion and thus the encounter of the new Muslim faith with the ancient traditions of the Near East (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 23).

The period following the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 led to the creation of the first caliphs (reigns) of Islamic civilisation under which the principal architectural types for large public buildings were developed (National Gallery of Art Washington 2004, p. 8). The Rashidun Caliphate (Rightly Guided or Orthodox Ones) encompassed the first four caliphs (successors of the prophet) whom ruled between the years 632 and 661 from Medina (ibid). During their establishment, the lands of the ‘Fertile crescent’, namely the lands of Mesopotamia and the Syro-Palestinian coast, were scattered with congregational mosques as part of the extensive process to develop architectural forms suitable for and expressive of the Islamic faith (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 17). From this primary place of worship, the vocabulary of Islamic architecture has been derived and used for the construction of other buildings such as tombs, palaces, forts, public baths, fountains, domestic architecture and other secular buildings (ibid). According to the aforementioned historians, the emerging built forms had to be meaningful to the old settled populations of pre-Islamic Arabia whilst also mirroring the needs and aspirations of a new ideology (ibid).

The first Islamic dynasty and second caliphate, the Umayyads, ruled between 661 and 750 from their capital at Damascus in Syria (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p.26). For their earliest buildings, the largely nomadic Islamic Arabs integrated techniques and forms from the civilisations that they had encountered (ibid). The sanctuary of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is a notable example of the oldest surviving Islamic shrine built at the order of the Umayyad Caliphate exhibiting both Syrian and Christian influences (ibid). The shrine features a large rock at its centre believed to have been the place from which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended in his night journey to paradise (Moffett et al. 2003, p.154). Similarities have been drawn between the Dome of the Rock and Constantine’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (cons. 335), which features a similar dome, suggesting

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi influences from traditional cathedrals built throughout the Byzantine Empire (Moffett et al. 2003, p.156). The shrineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sophisticated geometry and circumambulation layout are two additional elements also noted to have been derived from Christian precedent (ibid). The general scheme employed at the Dome of the Rock ultimately mimics the ambition of Islamic pilgrimage, that of a central monument around which the faithful could circulate (ibid).

The Umayyad civilisation were novel in their developments as such by modifying traditional structures to express the virtues of a new faith and people (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p.26).

CH1 Figure 1 Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, Umayyad Caliphate 687-91 (Source: Moffett, M, Fazio M & Wodehouse, L 2003, A world history of architecture, p. 155).

CH1 Figure 2 Interior of Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Abd alMalik ibn Marwan, Umayyad Caliphate 687-91 (Source: Moffett, M, Fazio M & Wodehouse, L 2003, A world history of architecture, p. 155).

CH1 Figure 3 Axonometric Section of the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, 687-91 (Source: Moffett, M, Fazio M & Wodehouse, L 2003, A world history of architecture, p. 155).

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

The Abbasid architecture of the Abbasid Caliphate (750 – 1258) involved a continuation of both Rashidun and Umayyad establishments strongly influenced by Sassanid architecture (Persian Empire period) and later by Central Asian styles (Moffett et al. 2003, p.157). The first three centuries of their rule are often referred to as the Islamic “golden age”, through which they established courts and enormous ‘palace-like cities’ across modern day Iraq, Iran, Israel, Syria, and Egypt as well as North Africa and later Spain (ibid). Much more than their predecessors, the Abbasids crafted urban centres which the Islamic world has developed and reconditioned ever since (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 76). The Great Mosque of al-Mansur, founded in 765, is one of the earliest Abbasid monuments from which we have reliable archaeological information (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 78). According to historical texts, the Friday mosque was built at the epicentre of the round ‘City of Peace’ (modern day Baghdad, Iraq) in the true form of earlier Umayyad hypostyle buildings that had been adopted in Syria and Iraq (ibid). However, the difference here remains in the palace addition to the mosque, which became a major feature of Abbasid architecture (ibid). Also deriving from Sasanian tradition, the palace was arranged around a large court, an iwan1 of an unknown shape, and two domed rooms (ibid). Literary sources and some aspects of the decorative arts, as coined by Ettinghausen and Grabar, show that the architectural methods of Abbasid tradition had a prevailing contemporary impact on the Islamic world as they tied together elements from many different regions (ibid).

CH1 Figure 4 Map of the spread of Islam 622-750 CE (Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2001, Cambridge, USA, accessed 14-05-19, <http://web.mit.edu>)

Today Islamic architecture has spread across a vast territory encompassing almost forty countries whereby a majority of the Muslim populace have lived or continue to live primarily across the Middle East, North Africa, parts of Central and South Asia, the Malaysian peninsula, the Indonesian archipelago, and to a lesser extent, the United States and Europe (Rabbat 2012, p. 18). Despite its geographic and historical contours, Islamic architecture has managed to evolve a unique character worldwide (Omer 2008, p. 484). Of the extensive built forms that have been developed, the mosque and commemorative shrine remain the major structures of religious architecture in the Islamic world exhibiting forms directly inspired by the Muslims’ ‘ibadah (worship) activities (ibid). The chief goal of the mosque, also known as the ‘House of God’, is to provide a communal gathering space for Muslims to pray 1

A vaulted space used as an entrance, or, if closed at one end, a hall facing a court in a mosque (Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture 2000).

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi together in the presence of Allah, following the example of the Prophet and his private house (Rabbat 2012, p. 18). Because mosques have been built throughout so much of the world, it will not be possible to represent their full diversity in this short chapter. The discussion that follows concentrates on two prime examples of mosque architecture developed according to different regional styles—that of Arabia and Central Asia during the Umayyad Caliphate of Islamic civilisation.

The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus (c. 706 -15, with later additions), is one of the oldest and largest remaining extant mosques built during the Umayyad Caliphate (Moffett et al. 2003, p.157). Located in the old city of Damascus (modern day capital of Syria), the mosque sits atop a prehistoric site on which had previously abided a Roman temple devoted to the God Jupiter and a fourth-century Christian church devoted to St. John the Baptist (ibid). The ground plan of the Roman shrine influenced the mosque’s general form and rectangular shape (ibid). More than half of the inner space is dedicated to an open arcaded court, or sahn, which primarily occupies the northern part of the mosque precinct, whilst the haram— an enclosed prayer hall—covers the southern part (ibid). The interior courtyard is enclosed by four exterior walls each lined with arcades supported by alternating stone Corinthian columns and piers (ibid). Four towers (minarets) stand on the outer side at the corners of the site from which a caller (muezzin) summons the faithful to prayer (ibid). The design of these towers is believed to have been based on previous fortification towers or lighthouses, but, with their assimilation at Damascus, minarets became a prevailing item of subsequent Friday mosques (ibid).

CH1 Figure 5 Floor Plan, Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria 715, Al-Walid I (Source: Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, date unknown, accessed 14-05-19, <http://www.selcuklumirasi.com/architecture-detail/damascus-umayyad-mosque>)

The new house of worship was constructed under the caliphate of Al-Walid I of the Umayyad dynasty to serve as a large congregational mosque for the citizens of Damascus and as an accolade for the holy city (Moffett et al. 2003, p.157). Its architectural form reveals discrete structures suitable for and expressive of Islamic corporate worship and way of life (ibid). A domed fountain pavilion for ritual ablutions sits adjacent to the haram, within the sahn, embodying the life-giving, nourishing, and cleansing aspects of water as mentioned in the Qur’an (ibid). The haram, which runs the length of the southern side of the mosque, is divided into three long corridors by rows of arched columns (ibid). A transept cuts across the aisles at their midpoint enclosed with a central wooden dome (ibid). Also believed to have been derived from Syro-Roman influences, the dome creates a special processional area reserved for the entourage of the caliph—a maqsura (ibid). Three niches, also known as mihrabs, are set into the southern wall to indicate the direction of the qibla for prayer (ibid). Since its construction in the early 8th century, the Umayyad Mosque has maintained its architectural elements serving as an archetype for the development of subsequent congregational mosques throughout the Islamic empire (ibid).

CH1 Figure 6 Sahn Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria 715, Al-Walid I (Source: Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, date unknown, accessed 14-05-19, <http://www.selcuklumirasi.com/architecture-detail/damascus-umayyad-mosque>)

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Early Islamic architecture often varied in style according to large regional divisions. The Great Mosque of Isfahan, also known as the Friday mosque (Masjid-e Jameh), serves as a definitive when compared against the Great Mosque of Damascus. Also constructed during the early 8th century by the Umayyad Caliphate, the Jameh Mosque displayed a similar hypostyle form that had been employed in Syria, however with Sassanid influences (Moffett et al. 2003, p.161). Positioned in the centre of the old city, the primary congregational mosque forms a lively community hub connecting arterial networks of paths throughout the urban precinct (ibid). The original form of the Jameh Mosque appears to have been a rectangular multi-columned hall enclosed with a wooden roof, with a large sahn at its core (ibid). Enclosed prayer halls extend away from this central courtyard on each side supported by rows of columns and brick piers (ibid). At some later date, four iwan sets were incorporated in the centre of each side of the sahn providing additional access towards the domed prayer halls (ibid). The Great Mosque of Isfahan has since served as a porotype for the consequent development of iwan styled mosques throughout the Islamic empire (ibid).

The adaptation of Persian architectural forms for Islamic religious architecture has seen the development of iconic monuments exhibiting an individuality distinct from that of other Islamic regions (Moffett et al. 2003, p.162). For centuries, Isfahan’s Jameh mosque has represented the identity of Central Asian and Persian Islamic culture and civilisation (ibid). The arched openings of the mosque’s iwan sets provided builders with an opportunity to implement their skills in geometric ornamentation, which involved the application of glazed tiles, corbeled concave elements, creative arrangements of bricks together with intricate motifs in stucco (ibid). The Persian Muslims’ structural inventiveness, especially in vault and dome construction, has been demonstrated through the addition of a large domed chamber at the southwest end of the existing building, which covered twenty bays of the columnar hall as opposed to one (ibid). A static reflective pool sits at the centre of the Sahn mirroring the blue-black glazed tilework enveloping the four iwans and the great dome of the haram. Since its early construction, and despite having numerous additions, the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan has been a physical locus for the actualisation of religious architecture modified to flatter the aesthetic demands of the great Islamic empires of Persia (ibid).

CH1 Figure 7 The Great Mosque or Masjid- e Jameh, Isfahan, Iran 8th century. Photo: Reibai 2011. (Source: Dalal, R 2011, The Great Mosque of Isfahan, Khan Academy, accessed 14-05-19, < https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/west-and-central-asia/a/the-great-mosque-or-masjid-e-jameh-of-isfahan>).

The historic and geographical context of the Islamic faith has significantly influenced its development of architectural forms and motifs more so than the physical actualisation of the Islamic message at the hands of the Muslims (Moffett et al. 2003, p.162). During its early spread, Islamic architecture was built on the remnants of other pre-historic forms—specifically Byzantine and Sassanid Architecture (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987, p. 78). The first three successive caliphates of Islamic civilisation have been novel in their developments as such by modifying traditional structures to express the virtues of a new civilisation and identity (ibid). Whatever inspirations may have been at work in the construction of early Islamic monuments, their characteristic is that they were assembled for Muslims, to serve purposes that did not exist in quite the same way before Islam (ibid).

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Chapter Two The application of water as a contemporary design element in Islamic Architecture: Abu Dhabi Louvre by Ateliers Jean Nouvel 2017 Chapter one established the broad historical and geographical contours of Islamic architecture drawing relationships between the design of new Islamic forms, particularly mosque architecture, and the traditional structures of the Near East. Progressing, this chapter will concentrate solely on the Abu Dhabi Louvre by Ateliers John Nouveal as a contemporary interpretation of its aforementioned primitive archetypes. Particularly, the Louvre’s utilisation of water as an architectural design element will be reviewed on the basis of developing an enhanced understanding of the purposes served by the natural element in the design and articulation of Islamic architecture, be it functional, aesthetic or symbolic and if this has changed throughout the course of time. Equally, the extent to which water forms part of the ‘contemporary’ manipulation of materials in Jean Nouvel’s take on Islamic architecture will help broaden the understanding of its passive design benefits for use in other secular buildings world-wide.

French architect and Pritzker-prize winner Jean Nouvel (b.1945) designed the Abu Dhabi Louvre as a contemporary proposal of Arabic architecture2, particularly focusing on its dialogue with nature (Archdaily 2017). Inaugurated in the year 2017, the Abu Dhabi Louvre is an art and civilisation museum located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District in the United Arab Emirates (Ateliers Jean Nouvel 2017). The museum represents a city within the sea designed as a ‘seemingly floating dome structure, its aesthetic consistent with its role as a sanctuary for the most precious works of art’ (Ateliers Jean Nouvel 2017). French President Emmanuel Macron partnered in association with Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to develop the museum as part of a US$27 billion tourist and cultural centre for the Saadiyat region. Its prime location within the new and evolving Arabian Peninsula renders it as an exemplar illustration of Islamic architecture (ibid).

The museum is made up of a series of 55 individual buildings, including 23 galleries, which take their form inspiration from Medina and low-lying Arab settlements (ibid). Enclosing two-thirds of these structures is a 180-metre-wide dome providing shade punctured by rays of sunlight (ibid). A major symbol of Islamic architecture, the dome is reinvigorated as a steel roof, the result of which is a highly studied geometric design manipulating the entry of light via a sequence of stars, overlapping at various sizes and angles in eight different layers (Archdaily 2017). By the words of the architect, at night the enclosed landscape transforms into an ‘oasis of light under a starry dome’ (Ateliers Jean Nouvel 2017). Jean Nouvel has managed to create a ‘welcoming world serenely combining light and shadow, reflection and calm’ as a contemporary manifestation of Islamic architecture (ibid).

CH2 Figure 8 Interior of the Abu Dhabi Louvre, Jean Nouvel, United Arab Emirates 2019. Photo: Laurence Kimmel 2019.

2

Arabic architecture used interchangeably with Islamic architecture according to the historical overview provided in Chapter One.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

The Louvre Abu Dhabi borrows contemporary building techniques to articulate the forms of a rapidly propagating religion world-wide (Amrousi et al.

2018). The term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;contemporaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; here is mis-leading however, as it denotes an architectural movement that is trying to disassociate from its primitive past (ibid). Historically speaking, Islamic architecture has always been fervent in representing new modes of thinking and expression (ibid). The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates of early Islamic civilisations both adopted contextual practices to suit their growing Islamic identity. This is primarily evidenced through the sanctuary of the Dome of the Rock, which exhibits Syrian and Christian influences as well as the Abbasid monument of al-Mansur that had its generic form taken from Sassanian tradition. Similarly, the Abu Dhabi Louvre draws its inspiration from the prevailing metropolis of the Medina city complex whilst also mirroring the traditional forms of its primitive archetypes (ibid). These include both the sahn and the dome, which have been reimagined utilising new materials such as stone, concrete, marble and steel (ibid). Fundamentally, the Louvre Abu Dhabi remains intrinsic to its history and geography whilst also manifesting itself as part of the universally current architectural forms (Ateliers Jean Nouvel 2017).

CH 2 Figure 9 Under the Dome of the Abu Dhabi Louvre, Jean Nouvel, United Arab Emirates 2019. Photo: Laurence Kimmel 2019.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi In different centuries and in different architectural styles (and thus regions), architects of the central lands of the Muslim world have played on the art and technique of building products, in both religious and secular systems, to convey the dialogue that exists between man, nature and architecture (Salimi & Pilehvarian 2016, p.58). This has been particularly demonstrated through the use of water as an aesthetic and functional design element within the Islamic architecture of the Abu Dhabi Louvre (ibid). The philosophy of water in Islamic theology primarily focuses on its life-giving, sustaining and purifying qualities (Shakhs & Ezzat 2018, p.1). The Holy Quran states that ‘every living thing is made of water’, and the importance of this belief is manifested through the Islamic ibadah, since it is used for ablution3 to cleanse oneself physically and spiritually five times daily (ibid). The role played by water in Islamic architecture is therefore multitudinous: it is utilised aesthetically to reflect the surrounding environment for visual emphasis, practically to provide natural cooling systems in hot climates and symbolically to represent external purification, all whilst bringing the user into ritual contact with the architecture itself (ibid).

The permeation of seawater through the Abu Dhabi Louvre is not merely an addition to its architecture and design, but rather forms an integral part of the museum’s character—shaping the aesthetics of its landscape and breathing life into its structures (Wainwright 2017). Tidal pools sit across the base of the stone platform running water from the exterior basement upon which the museum has been raised (BuroHappold 2019). Inspired by the ancient qanat system of Arabian engineering, the water channels fluctuate from still to static according to external tidal movements (Louvre 2019). They function in connexion with the perforated copula to further reflect dappled light against the bare concrete interior transforming the expansive space into a unique oasis (ibid). The relatively deep bodies of water thus form part of the museum exhibition as opposed to strictly mirroring the surrounding environment, as previously seen in the static reflective pool of the Jumeirah Mosque at Isfahan (ibid). In this case, the use of water embodies more than a symbolic role of translating notions of spirituality and purity (ibid). Where it was once used primarily as still pools of reflection or ablution fountains, water has made its resurgence as a large-scale design element in Jean Nouvel’s take on Islamic architecture.

CH2 Figure 10 Exterior view of the Abu Dhabi Louvre, Jean Nouvel, United Arab Emirates 2019. Photo: Laurence Kimmel 2019.

3

Islamic act of washing oneself.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

CH2 Figure 11 Water channels through the Abu Dhabi Louvre, Jean Nouvel, United Arab Emirates 2019. Photo: Laurence Kimmel 2019.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Beyond its aesthetic benefits, the utilisation of water as a design element in the Abu Dhabi Louvre also serves a myriad of functional purposes. The reflective pools emphasise visual axes to create linear pathways guiding visitors between the galleries, exhibitions, Children’s Museum, auditorium, open plaza and café and restaurant (Louvre Abu Dhabi 2019). Apart from circulation, the entry and permeance of seawater also controls the micro-climate of the ‘museum city’ (ibid). Sun rays filtered through the perforated dome trap excess heat within the building’s concrete and stone cladded structure (BuroHappold 2019). In response, the tidal channels reduce internal temperatures by cooling wind flow through the partially exposed cluster of buildings (ibid). The thermal mass of the museum complex is therefore reduced keeping energy consumption to a low awarding it its silver LEED status and 3 Pearl Estidama Design Rating (ibid). Mirroring the exposed sahn environment of traditional regional Islamic design, the large-scale application of water provides a comfortable experience for visitors to congregate and converse about art and life in a context of total serenity (Louvre 2019). Jean Nouvel’s exemplification of water as a design element illuminates the extant relationship between interiors and exteriors, consequently providing new paradigms for the interpretation and translation of symbolic beliefs within contemporary Islamic architecture (ibid).

Through its contemporary building techniques, manipulation of traditional forms and subtle references to Islamic theology, the ‘museum-city’ of Jean Nouvel’s Abu Dhabi Louvre has embodied a 21st century approach of Islamic architecture (Amrousi et al. 2018). The Louvre Abu Dhabi demonstrates the evolution of traditional Islamic structures for an all-inclusive district centre not bound by literal Islamic motifs (ibid). Nouvel’s play on the entry and permeance of water throughout the building complex, in the form of reflective tidal pools, emphasises the symbolic significance of the element for Islam and its associated structures (Shakhs & Ezzat 2018, p.1). More so, the manipulation of water as a material element has helped manifest the museum as a direct representation of the Island and basin upon which it floats (Louvre 2019). Functionally speaking, the utilisation of water helps to transform the microclimate of the museum creating an ambient atmosphere fit for the preservation of exhibitive works on display (ibid). From this, architects and interior architects alike could draw inspiration to induce more passive design techniques throughout their buildings to reduce thermal mass and thus the need for excess energy consumption.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Chapter Three The application of water as a contemporary design element in Islamic Architecture: case study: Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque Abu Dhabi Contemporary Islamic architecture focuses on the revampment of cultural forms by means of modern building techniques. The Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel demonstrated a physical discontinuation from direct traditional references whilst still maintaining links to its history and geography. Nouvelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play on the entry and permeance of water as a design element flaunted new interpretations for the translation of symbolic beliefs within contemporary Islamic architecture. This chapter will review the Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque of Abu Dhabi as a point of comparison with the Abu Dhabi Louvre drawing conclusions on the various approaches of contemporary Islamic architecture to belong to its religion whilst also providing for an all-inclusive modern civilisation.

An iconic example of Islamic architecture in the 21st century is the Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque of Abu Dhabi (Saoud 2008). Inaugurated in the year 2007, the Sheikh Zayed Great Mosque has been constructed as one of the largest mosques in the United Arab Emirates holding processional areas fit for a total capacity of 40,000 worshippers (ibid). The project was launched by the late ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2004) as part of a complex that would unite the extensive cultural diversity of the Islamic world within the modern confinements of Islamic art and architecture (ibid). Designed by Syrian architect Yousef Abdelky, the mosque sits upon a large site measuring 290 by 420 metres and covering an area of more than 12 hectares (ibid). Due to its large magnitude, the mosque took twelve years to complete at an estimated cost of 2.167 billion UAE dirhams (ibid). The Friday Mosque was established after the launch of the Saadiyat cultural district drawing inspiration from the grandeur of the established precinct to help form Abu Dhabi as part of an international cultural hub within the region (ibid).

CH3 Figure 12 The Great Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque, Abu Dhabi, Yousef Abdelky 2007. (Source: Saoud, R 2008, Sheik Zayed Great Mosque in Abu Dhabi:

Islamic Architecture in the 21st century, accessed 20-05-19, <http://muslimheritage.com/article/sheikh-zayed-great-mosque-abu-dhabi-islamicarchitecture-21st-century>).

The general plan of the Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque imitates the traditional hypostyle form originally modelled in earlier Umayyad buildings that had been adopted throughout Islamic Arabia. This has been previously demonstrated in the Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria, which features an open arcaded court enclosed by four exterior walls lined with arcades of alternating stone Corinthian columns (Moffett et al. 2003, p.157). The Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque also combines the insertion of domed roofs throughout its complex in retrospect of its Byzantium predecessor archetypes (ibid). The modern complex of the Friday Mosque consists of a large prayer hall, two small prayer rooms, that is one for daily processional prayers and one for female worshippers (Saoud 2008). The halls of the haram flank out into a large courtyard, which is enclosed by arcaded galleries constructed of pointed horse-

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi shoe double columns (ibid). The exterior of the building is constructed from a reinforced concrete shell whilst the interior involves the use of marble cladding as well as inlaid decoration and ornamental carvings for modelling artworks (ibid).

The Sheikh Zayed Friday Mosque welcomes visitors at the main entrance of Abu Dhabi re-imagining traditional Islamic architecture with contemporary commodities (ibid). The prayer hall forms the main interior of the mosque complex (ibid). Towards the western gate of the prayer hall lies a large Qibla wall adorned with calligraphic ornamentation and Kufic script (Abu Dhabi Culture 2019). Aniconic botanical motifs coat the rest of the interior, which is back-lit with fibre optic lighting (ibid). Enclosing this atmosphere is a marbled roof that rises thirty metres above ground level featuring eighty-two domes (ibid). The floor of the prayer hall is lined by a continuous carpet designed by the renowned Iranian Artist Ali Qaliqi (ibid). The carpet features three large patterns replicating the domes above (ibid). The principal dome of the museum complex holds the largest chandelier in the world made of thousands of German Swarovski crystals for intricate lighting (Saoud 2008). The grandeur size of the interior space is a stand-alone feature of the mosque, which helps create a serene ambience in manifestation of the true house of Islamic worship (ibid).

CH3 Figure 13 The Great Sheik Zayed Friday Mosque, Abu Dhabi, Yousef Abdelky 2007. (Source: Saoud, R 2008, Sheik Zayed Great Mosque in Abu Dhabi: Islamic Architecture in the 21st century, accessed 20-05-19, <http://muslimheritage.com/article/sheikh-zayed-great-mosque-abu-dhabi-islamic-architecture-21st-century>).

The utilisation of water as an architectural and traditional Islamic design element is seen in the scheme provided for the central space enclosing the sahn of the Sheik Zayed Mosque (ibid). A large body of water surrounds the galleries around the courtyard reflecting the succession of pointed horseshoe arches that have been raised on double columns (ibid). The water channel also functions to direct more light towards the interior of the large haram prayer halls, whose domes have been ornamented with glass mosaics for the permeation of natural sunlight (ibid). Functionally speaking, the utilisation of water here mimics that of the Louvre Abu Dhabi by ventilating the building with cool air to replace warm temperatures against the bare concrete structure. The museum also features an ablution area to cleanse oneself physically embodying the life-giving, nourishing, and cleansing aspects of water as mentioned in the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an.

In contrast to the Louvre by Jean Nouvel, the Sheik Zayed Mosque of Abu Dhabi does not pull back from the utilisation of classical motifs and heavy ornamentation. Whilst the Louvre Abu Dhabi is different in program, it disassociates itself from the literal translation of classical motifs transparent throughout the context of traditional Islamic architecture. Instead, it manipulates cultural forms to manufacture a serene atmosphere mirroring the transient ambience of mosque design present in the central lands of the Muslim world. The Sheik Zayed Mosque, conversely, reimages the archetypal Islamic monument, such as the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, utilising modern building techniques and materiality. Its grandeur scale and placement within

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi the Islamic region, in close proximity to other traditional religious designs, have made it stand out as a notable example of 21st century contemporary Islamic architecture fit for the civilisation of the modern Islamic sphere (ibid).

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque exhibits a strong attachment for the continuation of cultural motifs. Its use of Corinthian columns, arcades and dome structures are a true representation of the early hypostyle mosque design of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates. Despite their divergent approaches, both the Louvre and the Sheik Zayed Mosque of Abu Dhabi exhibit contemporary commodities as part of re-imagining traditional Islamic architecture in the context of the 21st century metropolitan city. Both monuments utilise water as an aesthetic, functional and cultural design element, which remains an intrinsic material feature of the past and present Islamic built form.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

Conclusion This dissertation has proved the extent to which water could be utilised as an aesthetic and functional design element in contemporary architectural structures despite historic or regional origins. The utilisation of water as an interior architectural design element in antique forms generally denoted its importance as a symbolic feature of religious architecture. This has been primarily evidenced through the mosque architecture of the central lands of the Muslim world during its early formative years. Water was predominately utilised by architects in the construction of early Islamic motifs to help serve purposes that did exist in quite the same way before Islam in the form of still pools of reflection and ablution fountains (Ettinghausen & Grabar 1987).

The louvre Abu Dhabi demonstrates the evolution of the use of water as a material design element in Islamic architecture. Through its contemporary building techniques, manipulation of traditional forms and subtle references to Islamic theology, the ‘museum-city’ of Jean Nouvel’s Abu Dhabi Louvre has embodied a 21st century approach of Islamic architecture (Amrousi et al. 2018). Nouvel’s play on the entry and permeance of water throughout the building complex, in the form of reflective tidal pools, emphasises the symbolic significance of the element for Islam and its associated structures (Shakhs & Ezzat 2018, p.1). Functionally speaking, the utilisation of water has helped to transform the microclimate of the museum. From this, architects and interior architects alike could draw inspiration to induce more passive design techniques throughout their buildings to reduce thermal mass and thus the need for excess energy consumption.

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Water in Islamic Architecture: The Louvre Abu Dhabi

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