All projects
Sancta
karnire mosque
How could we kickstart evolution in the design of a mosque when the world only looked to tradition and function?
CONSULTANTS
Lighting and Automation
Ivory Edge
Structural Consultant
Ashok Associates
KEY information
Client
Expertise
Location
Mangalore, Karnataka
Status
Realised
Pick an era in the vast history of humankind and you can see the evolution of society by observing its places of worship.
People of the past eras poured heart, soul and meaning into their religious structures, using them as pivotal community centres, intending them to stand tall and proud for generations. We remain a bit bemused then that this practice has faded away in the modern era. Most places of worship today follow the designs literally set in stone centuries ago and no longer seek to be the symbol of architectural innovation they once were.
Take a look at the temples, mosques or churches built in civilisations past and you might notice that it’s the most modern, cutting-edge, beautiful structure of the time. And with good reason.
Places of worship could seek to be the symbols of architectural innovation they were once again.
We envisioned a rest stop for those seeking solace, and a centre of learning for the surrounding community. We called upon this instinct to innovate with houses of the holy and we built for the time, the place, the space, the purpose, and the future.
The site was prominently on the Kanyakumari — Panvel highway, and we sought to make it more than a place of prayer.
We lifted the prayer area to the first floor, and used the space below as a windswept community centre with facilities and a dedicated space for a madrasa to teach local children.
We saw potential for sharp brutalistic geometry of the exteriors giving way to unexpectedly light and modern interiors with glass partitions, modern facilities and the traditional mosque facilities in an updated avatar.
The design choices we made were extremely specific to Mangalore, a city known for its red tiles and brickwork.
Brick +
Corten Steel
These bricks were our primary material, chosen for their strength, longevity and connection to the community. We paired the brick with corten steel, chosen for the way it evolves over the years while remaining strong.
We recognised that a mosque should evoke a sense of serenity and lightness, attributes that corten steel and brick aren’t typically known for. So, we infused the space with thousands of pinpricks of diffused light, a symbol of a higher power in most religions, with meticulously crafted motifs in the corten steel that were simple, subtle, and inspired by Islam.
The corten steel was used to create “jaalis”, a traditional element in mosques, in an unexpected new format. What we then had was a structure with rich natural colours that would stand the test of time and morph into a new form of beauty as seasons roll by.
Meaning, aesthetics and functionality became one as the structure progressed.
The towering red minaret, a beacon of hope and guidance, also doubled as a water tank, blending aesthetics with utility.
A product of the past
& the future
The finished structure is a product of the past and the future. It takes centuries of tradition, brings it into the present, prepares it for the future to come and keeps society and individual needs at its heart.
It contains memories. It creates meaning every day. It redefines the intrinsic human need for worship and community into what they mean today, and leaves the door open to what it could mean tomorrow.
