Central Mosque of Pristina

Competition

In collaboration with T.O.A

sq.m 40920
Pristina,Kosovo
2012

The fundamental principal of the project comes from the definition of Mosque, which is a place for praying and going from body to soul. The prayer is someone who connects the earth to the sky, while the mosque is a space for the becoming. Becoming is a symbol of movement and movement is the source of the mosque (the house of god). This plan is shaped in this framework as the mosque is a symbol of ascending sprit from soil to the sky, from city to the Kiblah.

The body of the project is shaped by curves with rotation which is a symbol of  The Dome. The Dome is the sign in spiritual Architecture. In this project a shell comes from down by rotation and being peaceful by directing to Kiblah. This peace creates a surface in dimensions of 63 m×40 m and 99 names of ALLAH(Based on Quran) are written on it in 40 languages. The door of the Mosque is designed by Moraghah. The symbolic Minarets beside the epigraph is showing the coming up of the epigraph and moving to the sky. The Minarets are 103 meters high. They have steps and elevators for going up to enjoy the panoramic view of the city.

This project is located in urban area with natural topography. The level of this project in south is 7 meters higher from its north. This urban location gives the project an identity to connect different levels of the city. In proposed plan directions shape the project from inside and outside. From outside it determines the way of cars, pedestrian’s access to the project and its entrances and from inside it shows the penetration of project for connecting different parts of the city around it. The main entrance of the project from urban plaza is located in south and Alley besides this passing through the Project which is shaping related activities of Mosque around it to create vibration in the project. 

The composition of open and closed spaces creates the concept of the project. Some plazas (open and green spaces) are designed in south, North and East part of the project to support going from city to Mosque, from this world to spiritual space. On the other hand this space connects the body to the soul, this world and the other world with mediating space such as plaza. Another plaza is designed in level -2 to help for supporting light and natural air for underground levels. It also creates the imagination of ascending the Mosque from the inside of soil. So the project is not coming out of the soil surface but from the depth of earth.