Dubai Creek Mosque

1/12 Many forces direct the formation of the mosque, the urban fabric of the DCH master plan, the Qibla direction, the need for designing an iconic mosque and the conceptual basis that shall be explained in this morphology.

2/12 Responding to the site challenges, and in order to make the mosque stand out as an iconic building a green berm was created in the site to create a buffer that rises up to the level of the mosque.

3/12 After setting the Qibla and orienting the direction to Mecca, the strongest force affecting the massing and formation in this conceptual proposition was the minaret, a dominant vertical element that starts to formulate and expose all the components of this mosque.

4/12 6 Main minarets map the start of the court and the praving hall boundaries ending with the Mehrab. The 6 minarets have been wildly used in traditional monumental mosques. Their locations is essential in understanding the morphology and scale of the mosque

5/12 The 6 minarets set an outline that develops to form a skin that will wrap the building structure. The massing of the minaret itself adjusts to carry this veil.

6/12 This element carries the same material as the minaret, however rather than being heavy it is light and tectonic. A set of louvers that are automated by sensors in reference to the environmental conditions.

7/12 The skin opens up to form a shading element around the court. It allows cross ventilation and defines the boundaries of the Sahen. An arcade structure also defines the area

8/12 18 additional pillars arrange and center themselves to hold up the praying hall. They are a continuation of the external minarets; however, internally, they serve a different purpose.

9/12 The pillars carry a light, transparent body. The structure is protected with a second patterned skin that merges with the louvers of the veil.

10/12 This union between the veil and the pattern geometry formulates the shape of the louvers. A simple circular opening marks the location of the dome.

11/12 Moreover, the court roof is covered with shaded canvas structures with an automated mechanism that allows them to open and close. A single sculptural minaret marks the location of the entrance of the plaza.

12/12 Four pairs of minarets denote the location of the main entrances and exits. The first pair frames the side arcades' accessibility, while the second pair frames the side entrances and exits on the two sides of the mosque. These sculptural minarets form the museum of the mosque. Visitors can pass inside and engage in an educational, artistic expression of the names of God.