Limestone facades layered with latticed screens outline this group and administrative constructing that structure studio John McAslan + Companions has created at London’s Baitul Futuh Mosque.
The challenge replaces an present administrative constructing on the 5,700-metre-square complicated, which is Britain’s largest mosque, after it was closely broken by a hearth in 2015.
Aiming to design a “new native and worldwide landmark” for the group, John McAslan + Companions drew on civic Islamic structure and repeated symmetrical, curved motifs all through the design.
The constructing contains three blocks with limestone and glass facades adorned by ornate metallic screens, chosen to be in step with the remainder of Baitul Futuh Mosque.
“The stonework has each honed and textured finishes to minimise sturdy floor reflections and permit constructing facades and edges to recede and never overwhelm the townscape,” architect Chris Ravenscroft advised Dezeen.
“These pure supplies will age gracefully over time with out lack of their inherent character and life, to safeguard the long-term visible high quality of the constructing and the sense of place and group that it represents,” he added.
A double-height colonnade wraps across the constructing to offer a beneficiant entrance together with separate female and male corridors, which hook up with present walkways resulting in the primary prayer corridor.
Throughout the constructing, multifunctional halls, workplaces, lodging and eating rooms are organised throughout 5 flooring linked by symmetrical vertical cores. A mezzanine degree overlooks the centralised prayer corridor on the bottom ground.
Exterior, the revamped public realm gives a extra welcoming entrance space and area for on-site gatherings.
“[The main concept was] to create an open, landscaped entrance and welcoming new constructing to function a particular gateway to the broader mosque complicated and invite area people engagement by way of the supply of quite a lot of new amenities and areas,” Ravenscroft mentioned.
Ending touches to the constructing embody a rainwater assortment tank positioned under the ground-level colonnade, together with photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof and an on-site borehole.
“The constructing has been designed to utilise passive and lively measures to maximise its sustainable credentials and long-term future,” Ravenscroft mentioned.
Different just lately accomplished mosques embody a trio of bamboo constructions exhibited on the Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia and a calligraphy-covered constructing in Dubai.
The images is by Hufton + Crow.
Challenge credit:
Architect: John McAslan + Companions
Planning advisor: Rolfe Judd
Challenge supervisor: The Rowe Partnership
MEP advisor: Thornley & Lumb
Structural engineer: JPG; Constructions
Stonemason: Putney & Wooden
BREEAM advisor: FES Group
