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The architectural project of the Cambridge Central Mosque, built in Cambridge, England, which has the distinction of being the first environmentally friendly mosque in Europe, is being determined by a competition opened by the Cambridge Mosque Trust. The team that won the first place; It was aimed that the mosque would be a point of intercultural interaction for Cambridge, where many culturally different communities coexist, except that it is a place of worship, a temple. Dec dec Cambridge Central Mosque is the most important issue in the design process of other adding a new one to the amount of consumption that exists in the modern world without completely eco-friendly and sustainable structure has been to uncover.
As the starting point of the project, Cambridge Central Mosque design team “What are the features to be found in an English mosque in the 21st century?” While seeking an answer to the question, they stated that their designs took shape as a result of accepting that Islam is now a part of England.
“An Oasis in Tranquility”
The Cambridge Central Mosque, built on the site of a small and old mosque that was previously located on the same spot, developed around the idea of “an oasis of tranquility”. In order for it to carry the octagonal-shaped shadow element, wooden columns similar to a tree can be seen both from the inside and outside of the structure, as well as creating a visual identity for the structure.
The columns, likened to a tree, are closed with walls made of wood laminated diagonally to the floor, covered with wall tiles. These girders are combined with railing structures that are similar to a castle around a domed roof to symbolize the combination of heaven and earth.
One of the Finest Examples of Kufi Art in Modern Architecture
Yellow gault bricks are often used in Cambridge as exterior coverings. Instead of being used structurally on the front line, bricks are used with a different design to reflect Islamic culture. Bricks used on the exteriors gave the space a sense of depth because the structure was all timber or timber cladding. The most interesting point of this design is that the bricks contain a message. This message to the entire facade was embroidered with the art of the Kufi line, which used the traditionally used Quran in writing and the Arabic alphabet as an element of architectural decoration.
It also has all its fine details hand-drawn, from the dome of Cambridge Central Mosque, to the place motifs, to the brick patterns on the facades.
Women’s Friendly Mosque: Cambridge Central Mosque
One of the other objectives of the design of the Cambridge Central Mosque was to create one of Britain’s female-friendly mosques. As a result of this, the consultancy window separating men and women was made in a way that could be moved and completely removed, not a permanent element.
Europe’s First Nature-Friendly Mosque
Wood has been used as the main material at the mosque due to its sustainability. At the same time, the mosque was made with the minimum possible carbon footprint. All of the hot water used in the mosque and all of the heating and cooling of the structure are done using solar power. All water used as cleaning and irrigation water comes from stormwater tanks. With all these features, the Cambridge Central Mosque is becoming known as the first nature-friendly mosque in Europe.
