ARCHIVE

Article from issue 9/2004 »Konzept Ecclesiastical Buildings«

Islamic Centre in Lisbon

typology p. 978 - 980
Architect Raj Rewal Associates | Structural Engineer A2P |

Drafts
1:1000 Ground and upper floor plan/Sections
1:2500 Site plan

Built for the comparatively large Ishmaelite community in Lisbon, this Islamic centre houses a prayer hall as well as a cultural, pedagogic and social centre. The spaces on the upper floor are illuminated by three smaller courtyards, while the public areas on the ground floor are grouped around three main courts of different character. The prayer hall is covered by a roof with 35 domes entirely without supporting columns. In the long wall is a prayer recess oriented towards Mecca. The ornamentation of the walls, the carpeted floor and the ceiling is purely geometric, avoiding all depictive images.