NUDES wraps a mosque in india with a perforated skin of traditional islamic patterns

mumbai-based architecture office NUDES explores traditional islamic geometric patterns in the mashrabiya mosque. located on a compact plot in pune, india, the structure is lifted on stilts, creating an all-weather social area on the ground floor, while spaces for prayer and ablution, service zones, and other social functions occupy the upper level.

the prayer hall faces the westwards in the direction of the mecca
images by samir chawda

led by founder nuru karim, NUDES has conceived the mosque as a volume within a volume, where the opaque block of the prayer hall is enclosed by a mashrabiya/jali (perforated screen) container, creating a slender ‘circumambulatory zone’. the skin, which also protects the building from the intense summer heat, is punctured with different scales of perforations that create striking light and shadow patterns. access to the plot is from the west, while the service core is positioned on the east to facilitate ease of transition into the prayer hall which faces westwards towards mecca.

the prayer hall is raised to create an all weather social space on the ground level

the mashrabiya container wraps around the prayer hall volume to create a slender circumambulatory space

the volume is cast in glass reinforced concrete

interiors are adorned with striking light and shadow patterns

the mashrabiya explores differentiated scales of apertures based on traditional islamic geometric patterns

the mashrabiya also serves as a protective skin during intense summer months

the project is conceived as a filigree volume suspended above ground

the mashrabiya is back lit for early morning and evening prayers

pattern generation

layouts

sections

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edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom