Nature and Wildlife will connect to dubai Creek tower

Dubai Creek Masjed Mediating the Harbor Reserve and Calatrava’s Tower

The proposed Masjed design sits at the natural vista as a monumental structure.

In a city full of landmarks, it’s hard to imagine how an architect can pull off a project that is even more rooted in the rich culture of the UAE. The design team proposed a monumental Masjed following the famed Calatrava’s Dubai Creek Tower. The tower features an Islamic Minaret, a distinctive architectural feature in Islamic culture, and links Ramsar—a protected wetland and wildlife refuge—in a major spine at the Creek Harbor. Likewise, the Masjed design is proposed following EMAAR Master plan. It acts as a Dome structure for the Minaret emphasizing the minaret’s Lily Flower concept.

The iconic Masjed is located along the green corridor consisting of series of pedestrian bridges that are visually connecting the tower to the sea. Dubai Creek Harbor is a six square-kilometer world-class development located on Dubai Creek. The area has long been Dubai’s center of history and culture and is in close proximity to the Ras Al Khor National Wildlife Sanctuary.

concept

The Masjid is seen as a necessity to complement Lily-based Islamic Minaret concept. The Masjid is a translation of a waterlily Dome-like arrangement along the green corridor extension which visually links the ensemble to the sea water at the horizon. The continuous green spine from the Creek Tower to the sea water provides the architectural inspiration for the Iconic Masjid in this profile landscape. The Tower is considered the Masjid Minaret, so the Masjid did not require a minaret, but rather a dome, which is the second element of a Masjid. Waterlily petals served as a perfect source of inspiration for the Masjid’s array of pointed arches.

Rowaqs are created on both sides of the formation by a double set of arches, allowing for the interconnection of the Masjid’s inside and outside, as well as continued access to the green corridor.

The interior of the arches is free of columns. Most of the time, they work to physically connect the worshipper to the sky. The Masjid’s interior is protected by a perforated skin that stretches around the frame. When the weather allows, this envelop may be opened to let fresh air in.

Leveling and Functions

The land slope called for two ground floors: one with a park in the back and one with the main praying hall in the front. The travel on foot through the Dubai master plan’s green corridor passed through the Masjed, using the Rowaqs on both sides of the masjid to reach the bridge across the back street. The green corridor splits at the Masjid site and rejoins at the bridge on both ends. The green

corridor passing through the site is diverted around and under the Masjid. The masjid can house up to 3,000 men and 1,000 women praying at the same time in addition to the roof floor. The building consists of: • The main floor containing the main pray hall that is directly linked to the landmark Calatrava Tower Plaza through the green corridor. • The open roof is an ideal place for nighttime meditation or for watching early morning sunrise. • The design contains a lower garden directly linked to the green bridge coming from the sanctuary. • The garden floor encompasses the Moathen/Imam Residence, the Library and the Quran Teaching Rooms, abolition spaces and services, in addition to hosting excessive number of worshippers and attracted tourists. • The design has two parking floors underneath with easy access to all floors and with separate elevators for men and women leading directly to the prayer hall lobbies on various floors.

This article was written by Dr. Anne Gharaibeh, Department of City Planning and Design, College of Architecture and Design, Jordan University of Science and Technology. Irbid, Jordan

Design team:

Principle designer: Anne Gharaibeh, Ph.D., MLA, UP, Arch. Design manager: Jumana Salem, Senior Arch. Team: Yousef Khalaf, Arch. Mohammad Hijazi, Arch. Mohamad Rahahleh, UP.