Project
The Iconic Mosque

Category 
Best Project of Public Building or Facility

About the project
Although the form isn’t of a typical mosque, it impeccably functions like one, satisfying the need for user segregation, directionality towards Mecca, and the most nuanced program requirements. Made up of layered shells, the largest one doubles as a dome typical in a mosque, also as a mihrab pointing towards Qibla, and a shield against thermal gain that shades the building. The resulting experience is as intimate as that of the conventional mosque where you'd seek spiritual haven away from the bustling secular city. Furthermore, the building's sculptural form will pose as a seashell, a pearl, or a monumental Mihrab all depending on how you experience the building while capturing the essence of Islamic architecture with its minimalist geometric character.

Location
Dubai, the UAE

Project design year
2019

More project images
https://app.box.com/s/0ha54lnr1e8w23dw50qibnwr6zkoz1te


Applicant and author of the project
Hazem Bassal, an architect looking to explore answers to the question of "What makes good architecture?", all while vowing to uphold architecture's noble mission of seeking social, economic, and environmental prosperity through purposeful architectural contributions to the built environment.