Architect Middle East – August 2019

R

ecently nominated for an Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Archi-

tecture, the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Grand Mosque

was designed to evoke a geometrical expression of a desert rose emerg-

ing from its urban context.

Designed by Saudi architecture and engineering practice Omrania, the KAFD

Grand Mosque involved a series of complex parametric arrays that create a simpli-

fied and dynamic massing.

Further landmarked by two sculpted minarets that reach a height of 60m, the

building ’s stone form and seemingly aggressive movement extends to the fifth el-

evation, helping create an interesting profile from various angles.

With a low height and wide shape, the mosque appears to emerge from the ground

as a crystal mass, while a plaza that surrounds the building provides a public realm

and amenity to the district. The plaza also serves as an extension to the mosque for

outdoor prayer during religious celebrations.

The mosque, which was completed in 2017, has a built up area of 6,103m^2 and can

accommodate 1,466 worshippers across two levels.

“A major challenge was to develop the geometry in such a way as to support a col-

umn free internal environment,” said the architects. “All of the loads are transferred

through the structural skin, and the skin supports a flying mezzanine by means of

hanging supports.”

The skin of the building consists of tessellated stone, which was selected to en-

hance the notion of a rising crystal mass. The project’s materialiaty is in keeping

with the design principles of the project in general and the greater Henning Larsen-

designed masterplan within which the mosque sits.

“Internally the dynamic movement is reflected in an exciting faceted lining

which stays true to the external form. This delicate yet powerful form represents

our visualised interpretation of a crystal cavern in reference to the desert rose,” the

architects added.

The interior volume of the mosque measures 16m high and features crystalline

window slots that filter direct sunlight, creating a soft haze for end-users. Triangu-

lar slotted windows on the vertical sides of the mosque’s roof structure further help

illuminate the ceiling.

A futuristic mosque in Riyadh by Saudi

architecture firm Omrania features a

geometric form meant to represent an

abstracted desert rose. The architects

also designed the building to evoke a

crystal emerging from the ground

KAFD Mosque

Written by Rima

Alsammarae

Images courtesy

of Omrania

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