an elliptical extrusion

 

luca poian forms unveils its winning competition entry for an iconic new mosque in preston, england. dubbed the ‘brick veil mosque,’ the team notes the envisioned architectural language that is at once timeless in its materiality and honest in its tectonic approach. the building takes shape as an elliptical extrusion, comprising an abstract and legible massing that is iconic, memorable, but also highly kinetic.

 

the mosque will be located alongside the preston guild wheel, a 21-mile ‘greenway’ that encircles the city. its elliptical form will invite to view and appreciate the subtly transforming structure from many vantage points. through its scale, form, and materiality, the mosque will be realized as a highly refined building that reprects islamic tradition while celebrating british craft.

luca poian form mosqueimages by filippo bolognese images

 

 

the new mosque for preston

 

the architects at luca poian forms envision the brick veil mosque as an architectural hybrid in preston. the team seeks to move away from traditional typologies, and proposes instead a structure that is at once monolithic and ethereal in appearance. the focal point of the design is its highly articulated brick facade, conceived as an urban-scale curtain that gently pleats away to frame the main entrance of the building.

 

inspired by the veil-like qualities of traditional mashrabiyas, the façade unfolds in both plan and section, orchestrating a delicate interplay of light and shadow whilst also drawing from the geometric rationale and sophisticated detailing typical of traditional islamic architecture. by virtue of its geometry, the facade’s pleating form has inherent structural stiffness that allows it to exist as an independent system whilst endowing the building with a rich tectonic language.

luca poian form mosque
the focal point of the design is its highly articulated brick facade

 

 

a respect for both tradition and context

 

the materiality and careful treatment of luca poian forms’ mosque not only harmonizes the relationship between the new and the existing, but in fact further enhances the building’s cultural identity by harkening back to the textile manufacturing industry that has characterised the region throughout history.

 

the minaret tower to the south-west references lancashire’s recognizable cotton mill chimneys — a celebration of the local history and an announcement of the mosque’s presence among the skyline of preston. drawing from its program and context, the proposal is imbued with multiple layers of references to islamic culture, infusing the building with a uniquely ambiguous character — at once rooted in tradition and respectful of its context.

luca poian form mosque
the round miranet echoes the area’s cotton mill chimneys
luca poian forms wraps its proposed UK mosque in a textural brick veil
the façade unfolds to create a delicate interplay of light and shadow

 

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project info:

 

project title: brick veil mosque

architecture: luca poian forms | @lucapoianforms | linkedin
team: luca poian, mohammed rahmany, luciano preci
structural engineer: price & myers
M&E: skelly & couch
quantity surveyor: bristow consulting
visualizations: filippo bolognese images