Place of worship : contemplating in a factory

Abstract

This research project explores the ideas of contemporary Islamic Architecture and applies these to mosque design in Auckland. The design articulates the fundamental architectural features of a mosque and ways to integrate these features within the proposed site context.

Many small Muslim communities established in the developing countries face persecution from larger religious groups which makes it intolerable for these communities to exhibit freedom of religion. This research project revolves around the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, a minority sect in Islam.

Many members of the community have been forced to seek refuge in more developed nations of the world, where they are free to practice their beliefs. The importance of building a mosque is to provide a space of worship for these displaced Muslim communities which generates a similar serene environment previously experienced in traditional mosques. A mosque represents a particular time and material culture of the people who belong to it, their value systems, social status, resilience, assimilation and an imaginary parallel space in a foreign land . Moreover, it represents a beacon of peace for the wider society.

Architecture has the ability of establishing grounds of coexistence between refugee Muslim communities and western societies to promote transparency of religion and encourage peaceful dialogue with the western world

Project site: a redesign based on existing site of the Baitul Muqeet Mosque at 20 Dalgety Drive, Wiri, Auckland