Abstract:

 

Islamic architecture is understood to have a distinct set of elements which emotively contribute to the divine logic of ritual and spiritual manifestation. This rationality, however, is imitative and has been boldly positioned within an unfamiliar context as a derivative of Arabian stimulus. Traditionally understood as a place welcoming to all people for matters extending beyond the religious, its circumstantial interpretation has had a profoundly negative influence on its newfound context, consequently acting as a deterrent for some. Its spatial proximity has fostered a sense of territorialism; its monumentalism has disconnected it from its urban milieu. The consequential reassessment of the mosque typology is necessitated whereby contextual and cultural reasoning makes an impact on its form, identity and meaning within an unfamiliar urban framework. This new comprehension is proposed to foster a sense of Islamic Ubuntu amongst a unified diaspora given its vastly connected assembly within the urban locale. The investigation aims to uncover an alternate process of choreographing a spiritual and emotive experience through contestation and subsequent redefinition. Instead of designing a religious edifice as an emblem of our own worldly inspiration, the inquiry seeks to spatially manifest the objective teachings of the divine scripture – the Holy Quran. Tangible and intangible mapping, along with a grounded theoretical outlook drives the study; the overall premise is based on a personal understanding and a life-long discovery of the religion in question.