OODA + and re: pristina central mosque proposal, kosovo

OODA: pristina central mosque proposal, kosovo

all images courtesy of OODA

portuguese firms OODA and and-ré have shared their proposal for the pristina central mosque competition held by the islamic community of kosovo.  mosque architecture has a rich and layered history, full of regional iterations that find their planimetric basis in the prophet’s original home. while islamic architectonics range from the grand to the vernacular the competition called for a distinct and inviting mark on the landscape that could serve as both an urban orientation device and yet seamlessly weave into the existing built environment. the proposal seeks to mediate the complex balance of historically shaped program and a new language of spiritual invitation through formal abstraction and a rich material palette.

the required dome, usually a symbolic expression of the heavens, takes on a more active role as the protective envelope of the prayer space and is tectonically expressed with a fibrous double skin. in lieu of traditional quranic epigraphy, the walls of the prayer hall are comprised of an interior mesh that fractures light into the open-plan place of prostration while materially manifesting a complexity associated with the heavens. the hovering dome is complemented by a conical gesture of a minaret, both of which sit at the rear of a green-roofed labyrinthine of geometric masses containing socialization and educational programming. as is the case with many mosques, the function of the architecture supersedes purely religious purposes, instead opting to engage and unify a community. while a stone-clad network of walkways and mixed-use retail spaces invite the populace, the architectural gestalt is the sensitive and subtle transition from secular space to an area designated for grounding the faithful in the universe.  

the hovering dome sports an inviting lift among the stone and  grass pathways

all images courtesy of OODA

green roofs and promenades characterize the space and weave the building into the urban landscape

all images courtesy of OODA

market and retail spaces part of the complex

all images courtesy of OODA

view of the prayer hall with its light-fracturing interior mesh

all images courtesy of OODA

layered building skins designate sacred areas

all images courtesy of OODA

floor plan level 0

floor plan level 2

long section

project info:

team: OODA: diogo brito, rodrigo vilas-boas, francisco lencastre, isabel vincke; and-ré: francisco salgado re, bruno andre, filipe paixao, fernando ferreira, catarina fernandestype: competitionsize: 60.000 sqmstatus: settled. proposal.collaboration: and-ré (co-author), afa consult / rui furtado (engineering)