HOK clads community mosque in saudi arabia with perforated patterning

HOK clads community mosque in saudi arabia with perforated patterning
photography by abdulrahman alolyan
all images courtesy of HOK

located in the saudi arabian city of riyadh, the king abdullah petroleum studies and research center (KAPSARC) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the study of economics and technology across all platforms of energy. alongside the site’s research center, the vast development also includes a large residential community supporting the program’s international staff and their families. planned by global practice HOK, the scheme includes ten communal buildings (including a mosque, a library and a bowling alley), a 200-house residential neighborhood and four other utility structures.

the mosque is located in the middle of the site’s central green space

conceived as the spiritual heart of the scheme, worshipers enter the mosque by climbing floating stone steps and traversing a glass bridge over the reflective pool that surrounds the structure. clad with a perforated pattern of glowing windows and surrounded by glass, the building’s appearance changes depending on the time of day. at night, the glass box appears as a hovering lantern suspended above the ground, while during the day, shadows from the complex mullion patterns travel over the inner stone facade.

worshipers enter the mosque by climbing floating stone steps

viewed through the lens of a traditional mashrabiya wall, internal volumes feature an interplay of light and shade. wrapping all four walls as well as the ceiling, the screen glows with the natural light from the punched windows and skylights. next to the community masjid, a 115-foot (35-meter) minaret tower echoes the patterns of the mosque’s facade and facilitates the daily calls to prayer.

see the gallery at the bottom of this page for more images of the site’s residential community.

internal volumes feature an interplay of light and shade