Conference Title: International Conference in Business,Technology and Innovation 2013
Conference Title: UBT Publications
Contributing Editos: Prof. Albert Qarri, Prof. Ibrahim Krasniqi, Krenare Pireva, Evelina Bazini, Nita Abrashi
Co-Organizers: Ardian Emini, Vlora Aliu, Betim Gashi, Xhemajl Mehmeti, Kushtrim Dragusha, Murat Retkoceri, Kaltrina Bunjaku, Leonita Braha
Start Date: 2013-11-01
End Date: 2013-11-02
Venue, City, Country: : Hotel Bleart , Durres , Albania

Paper Title

The New Design Approach on Mosque as Representative Building (Design Proposal for the Central Mosque of 1 Prishtina as Case Study)

Authors

Banush Shyqeriu, Kushtrim Hajdari

Content

The congregation Mosque, Mesjid (from Arabic, sujud = prostration) is one of the most important institutions of Muslim world, also the predominant built form of Muslim architecture. Having a basic spatial configuration to create “shelter” for prayer, it is evoking how this simple space bears meaning that generates symbolism, spatial and structural poetics in the Mosque design. Yet, misconceptions about the basic concepts of Mosque as a “shelter” has emphasized the symbolic interpretation of “sacred” space by creating the idea of exotic Mosque, which in turn has straiten the design creativity by certain clichés about Mosque as space and place for prayer and representative built form. Kosovo and the countries in region around have a half millennium history since the construction of the first Mosques. This, in the first sight represents a fertile “common ground” of continuum and inspiration for constructing a generic framework for new approach on Mosque design, yet it is also a challenge to reinterpret the traditional past and connect it to the novel future, due to clichés and nostalgias which Muslims in general and the institution of mosque itself, have been connected to.This paper tries to deconstruct and re-construct the mosque as a representative built form, both spatially and structurally. By using our Design Proposal for the Central Mosque of Prishtina as Case Study, we emphasize an “organic” approach towards Mosque design through a methodology of integral contextualization and conception as the new “typology”, which approach in turn re-interprets the traditional symbolic repertoire of structural and spatial elements / grammar of Mosque towards novel spatial scenarios and narratives. Generating meaning which connects the tradition and contemporary perception is the ultimate goal of this approach, aside a higher spatial, structural and energetic performance of the Mosque as built form. Form follows spatial performance, material and autogenic structure, becoming the ultimate narrative of meaning and the poetics of symbolic expression.


Keywords

Mosque; design; meaning; symbolism; “shelter”; “organic”