Excerpt: Shaer Mohammad Para Jame Mosque is an architectural project designed by 3 Points Consultant in Bangladesh. Being a coastal area the mosque is designed on a raised platform with a frontal plaza used for additional prayer space and social activity. The idea is to design an open and transparent space within a basic form where people can find peace and relate themselves with their surroundings.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The idea is to design an open and transparent space within a basic form where people can find peace and relate themselves with their surroundings. As we believe “Honesty, Transparency and Openness bring Peace of Mind.”- Dalai Lama
The mosque is at West Raichota which is a remote coastal area almost 40 km south from Chittagong. The mosque was an essential demand as the single story almost 35 years old mosque was severely affected by flood for several times and lost its usability. The mosque is surrounded by an existing two story Koumi Madrasa and a family graveyard at south, and an another graveyard at north and at west a pond and a typical shelter house cum primary school, which is one of the inspirations for the formal expression of the mosque.
Users generally enter from the east along side an open green space, usually used as playfield for the Madrasa students and an additional space for Eid Jamat, where there was a small pond earlier. A new large pond is introduced at north with a ghat for taking ablution and bath. The mosque is also connected with a rear entry from the west.
Being a coastal area the mosque is designed on a raised platform with a frontal plaza used for additional prayer space and social activity. The main hall is open and transparent for that natural light and cross ventilation is ensured. The windows flood the space with daylight.
Outside family graveyard and inner prayer hall both create a spiritual bench line between present life and after world. Repetitive vertical walls act as fin which cut the glair while jail (perforated) wall filters light and creates a beautiful texture of light and shadows. The geometric pattern of jail (perforated) wall is created with continuous flipping of the custom made R.C.C. blocks.
A single block is designed with five arms around a pentagon with another five holes, which reflect the magnificent number ‘five’ in Islam. Five pillars of Islam, five times prayer in a day and five Kalimas.
A double height volume with glass roof is created at the area for Imam and mihrab which visually connect the upper level with the lower. Mihrab is decorated with wooden veneer panel with book shelf creates an additional focus. This double height space with glass roof invites sky and rain and creates a sense in the middle of the limit and infinite.
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