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The Mamluki Lancet Mosque

Babnimnim Design Studio

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Mohammed Ashkanani
Mohammed Ashkanani
Mohammed Alsaad and Nasser Alomairi
Mohammed Ashkanani

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Cultural Space
6.83
7.33
7.40
5.50
6.77
Rabih Hage
Rabih Hage Founder at Rabih Hage
7.5
8
8
4
6.88
Benoit Florençon
Benoit Florençon Photographer at Benoit Florençon
7
7.5
8.5
5
7
Julie Payette
Julie Payette Cofounder and Partner at v2com newswire
6
7
6.5
5
6.13
Ben Zhang
Ben Zhang Founder at Shanghai Jielu Decorative Design Engineering
8
8
8
6
7.5
Thomas Tse
Thomas Tse Design Director at Inspiration Group
8
7
7
6
7
Yenny Zhang
Yenny Zhang Retail Designer at Nike
6
8
7
6
6.75
Christopher Dessus
Christopher Dessus Founder at Paf Atelier
5
8
8
6
6.75
Rune Ricciardelli
Rune Ricciardelli Creative Director at Visual Display
8
6.5
7.5
6
7
Eric Tsui
Eric Tsui Founder and Design Director at Kingwoo Strategy and Design
6.5
7
6.5
6
6.5
Torquil McIntosh
Torquil McIntosh Cofounder at Sybarite
9
9
9
6
8.25
Jana Kleine-Kalmer
Jana Kleine-Kalmer Interior Designer and Artist at Jana Kleine-Kalmer
5
6
5
3
4.75
Irene del Valle de la Sen
Irene del Valle de la Sen Studio Director at Roth Architecture
5.5
6.5
6
6
6
Dustin Stupp
Dustin Stupp Creative Director at Vave Studio
6.5
7
8
6
6.88
Rene Toneman
Rene Toneman Partner and Creative Director at Silo
7
7.5
8.5
6
7.25
Jason Immaraju
Jason Immaraju Creative Director at NVE Experience Agency
7.5
7
7.5
5.5
6.88
Client
Adlah Mohammed Abdulrahman AlBahar
Floor area
1160 ㎡
Completion
2023
Social Media
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The Mamluki Lancet Mosque (Adlah Mohammed Albahar) in Al-Masayel, Kuwait, seamlessly blends classical Egyptian Mamluki architecture with contemporary design, yielding a spiritual haven within a residential enclave. Anchored by the Moqarnas principle and the symbolism of the Islamic Star, the mosque unfolds as a sequence of five masses. The Qibla-oriented lower mass embodies faith's foundation, while the upper mass, aligned with the site, bridges the mosque's connection to its surroundings. Three intervening masses converge to form an open interior, enabling unobstructed prayer alignment.

Externally, the mosque features five rotating masses that span the gap between Qibla-oriented and site-aligned elements. Cascading squares ascend towards a central half dome, adorned with lancet arch cutouts reminiscent of classical Mamluki architecture. An additional mass tactfully completes the Islamic Star, enhancing visibility from above and signifying alternate entrances.

The entrance stands as an elegant prelude, a grand wooden door serves as the main threshold and its form echoes the mosque's half dome. Adjacent smaller half domes illuminate part of the interior, particularly the women's quarters, echoing the mosque's unity-centered design.

The mosque's material palette reinterprets Mamluki era elements with modern subtlety. Gray stone cladding and white clay plastering, paired with muted grays, whites, and delicate brass accents. Ornate detailing, engraved Quranic calligraphy, and handcrafted metalwork adorn the interior and exterior, seamlessly intertwining past and present.

Inside, stone-clad lower masses represent stability, while upper masses in pristine white evoke lightness. Thuluth-style Quranic inscriptions in modern relief adorn walls, harmoniously illuminated by natural light seeping through the light-wells of the rotating masses.

The mosque's adaptable spatial design discreetly segregates prayer halls, with a sliding partition expanding the women's area during Ramadan, fostering inclusivity while preserving unity.

The Mamluki Lancet Mosque harmoniously unites heritage and modernity, offering worshippers and the community an inviting, spiritually enriching sanctuary.