| When Ms Fadillioglu went to work with her 18-strong
design team, the main structures of the mosque --
such as the 44 metre-diameter (130') dome coated
in aluminium composite, which gives the sphere the
look of a spaceship -- had already been built by
the architect Husrev Tayla. She decided to put in
glass walls entwined with a wrought-iron mesh. The
effect is that the main prayer room of the mosque
is flooded with the sunlight that falls in through
the walls. Fadillioglu brought in nine artists
to work on different aspects of the mosque, and
extended the entrance area to create an “easy
approach” that makes the whole complex more
welcoming, she said.
She is putting a contemporary spin on religious
art from the Ottoman era.
The minbar (pulpit), which in most Turkish mosques
is made of carved wood or stone, is an ivory-coloured
stairway made from acrylic and decorated with
a leaf motif. The facilities for preprayer ablution
have blond-wood and Plexiglas lockers. In the
main hall hangs a bronze chandelier, dangling
with thousands of hand-blown glass raindrops —
a visual allusion to the Koranic verse that says
Allah's light should fall on believers like drops
of rain.
The iron on the mosque's enormous iron and glass
facade was hand-crafted by specialists in Istanbul.
She says, "The glass etching has got different
layers of gilding on it, which is from verses
of the Koran. We wanted people to feel more left
alone with God in this place, rather then being
distracted by too much ornamentation. I think
that makes it more contemporary at the same time."
An airy and luxurious sensibility pervades the
structure. The glass panels with golden etchings
reinforce the effect of being surrounded by light.
The 400 square metres (135 sq.') of the prayer
room can accommodate about 250 worshippers, with
room for an additional 100 people on the spacious
balcony, the only place where women may pray.
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/8845725_DRNkH#586237442_YVM4K-A-LB |
