Contemporary Mosques: Using Context as Driver over SymbolismSave this picture!Nurul Yaqin Mosque / Dave Orlando + Fandy Gunawan. Image Daniel Dian KristantoThe configuration of the mosque, the worshipping place for Muslims, traces its history to the courtyard of the religion's founder. The first mosques were, therefore, simple open spaces marked for ritual prayer use. Over the years and centuries, they would gain multiple standard, functional features, such as the mihrab, a niche that indicates the direction of prayer, and the minbar, a pulpit for the preacher to give the sermon. Other elements also became common, such as domes and minarets, which were historically used for the call to prayer. These had the additional purpose of signifying the function of the building as a mosque and were used by rulers and benefactors to elevate its grandeur.In contemporary times, mosques are not immune from architectural debate. Elements that have no religious function are questioned, as is the relationship between a mosque and its context. The discussion is especially stark in parts of the world with relatively new Muslim communities, where some theorists have advocated for the removal of symbolic elements on the basis that they are 'pastiche,' while others are nostalgic about the sentimentality associated with historical forms. Nonetheless, contemporary architects have been successfully elevating mosque architecture, fulfilling its functional requirements creatively, while allowing the building's context to drive the form. Read on to learn about seven mosque projects from across the world where stylistic dilemmas were overcome with careful contextual responses. Related Article The Award for Future Mosque Sancaklar Mosque / EAA - Emre Arolat ArchitectureSave this picture!According to the architect, the Sancaklar Mosque "aims to address the fundamental issues of designing a mosque by distancing itself from the current architectural discussions based on form and focusing solely on the essence of religious space." Situated in a hilly area in the suburbs of Istanbul, the mosque is set into the topography with only the entrance canopy visible from the outside as one approaches from above the hill. The external walls built of stone conceal a cave-like interior perfectly suited for quiet prayer and reflection.Gulshan Society Mosque / Kashef Chowdhury - URBANASave this picture!One major factor that determined the final form of this mosque was that only a small site was available for a congregation expected to be very large. Thus, the mosque was arranged across seven stories in a cuboid form that sits harmoniously with the surrounding urban context in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. The volume is enveloped with a screen structure that allows daylight and ventilation but which offers shade from the sun. Surrounded by buildings mostly painted white, the screen is constructed of white concrete. Its elongated grid resembles a pattern of windows and expresses the floor plates behind it. Very subtly, the openings in the screen spell out the Islamic phrase "there is no God but God" in classical Kufic Arabic script.Nurul Yaqin Mosque / Dave Orlando + Fandy GunawanSave this picture!The Nurul Yaqin Mosque in Palu City, Indonesia, takes its inspiration from its location projecting out into the bay. Conceived as both a mosque and a memorial to the 2018 tsunami disaster, it is composed of a stand-alone prayer hall facing the sea while the supporting functions are housed in an adjacent block facing the street. Evoking a sense of peace and harmony was an ambition of the architect. This can be seen in the very simple form of the prayer hall. The rectilinear volume is not entirely enclosed but is left open at low level all around. Ventilation panels at high level include the only religious ornamentation on the hall, in the form of the 99 names of God laser-cut into the stainless steel panels. Within the hall, the polished terrazzo floor shimmers like the surface of the sea beyond, which can be seen through the low-level opening in the wall, creating a continuity between the prayer space and the water.Al Gharra Mosque / Mohammed Ibrahim Shafee Architectural OfficeSave this picture!Al Gharra Mosque attempts to move away from traditional approaches of mosque design replicating the Prophet's house and first mosque and, instead, engages with architectural discourse. The site is located on a rocky hillside facing south towards Makkah and the direction of prayer, with the mosque and associated buildings following the contours of the inclined landscape. Rustic stone blocks feature in the landscaping and also in the solid mihrab wall, where they feature on both the interior and exterior, bringing the hillside in.Red Mosque / Kashef Chowdhury - URBANASave this picture!Unlike the Al Gharra Mosque, the Red Mosque in Keraniganj Upazila, Bangladesh, does take as its initial inspiration the first mosque of Islam. Hence, it takes the simple form of one space, rectangular in plan, with a roof supported on columns and glazed walls. The mosque sits in the grounds of a historic mosque, which was also refurbished. The red color of the roof, columns, and glazing frames comes from this existing structure. The glass walls and opening panels allow the outside to flow into the interior space, bringing in the leafy, wooded environment, and the forest of columns mimics the trees outside.Al Huda Nusantara Mosque / JXA StudioSave this picture!This mosque in West Java, Indonesia, shuns the use of domes and explicit symbols in favor of vernacular architecture and local materials. Its most prominent feature is the tiered tropical pitched roof which can be seen on approach to the entrance. A canopy creates a veranda to the front and sides of the main hall to deal with the climate and act as an additional prayer area when needed.Amir Shakib Arslan Mosque / L.E.FT ArchitectsSave this picture!The Amir Shakib Arslan Mosque is a small mosque of only 100 square meters which sits on a steep hillside. According to the architects, "rather than the traditional inert Cube/Dome/Minaret volumetric expression of normative mosque architecture, the design offers a lighter reading of the typology, an ephemeral tectonic presence." Part of the mosque is a refurbished historic space with stone arches and part of the task was its extension and reorientation towards the Makkah. The exterior interventions included converting a parking lot into a public plaza and an abstracted metalwork minaret to aid with wayfinding and marking the entrance.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorCite: Mohieldin Gamal. "Contemporary Mosques: Using Context as Driver over Symbolism" 21 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025921/contemporary-mosques-using-context-as-driver-over-symbolism&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! 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