Eight modern mosques that offer a contemporary take on Islamic architecture

As Islam holds on to its title as the world's fastest-growing religion, architects are increasingly reimagining what a Muslim place of worship can look like. Here, we've rounded up eight examples of avant-garde mosques from Kuwait to Bangladesh.

The home of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, Saudi Arabia, is generally considered to be the first example of a mosque. Constructed in 622 CE, it served as a model for early prayer halls, which often took the form of enclosed courtyards.

As Islam spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula, architects reinterpreted the typology through their local building styles, traditions and materials. But certain common architectural features calcified over time.

Among them is a grand prayer hall, large enough to hold the entire population of a town or city, with a mihrab wall niche pointing worshippers in the direction of Mecca, the holy pilgrimage site that Muslims face when praying.

Most mosques also feature a minaret, from which the call to prayer is announced five times a day, and one or more domes, or qubba, intricately decorated on the inside to represent the vault of heaven.

In recent years, a new generation of architects – both Muslim and not – have started updating these time-honoured codes, abstracting them into clean-lined modern forms that often rely on a connection to nature through light or water to evoke a sense of the sacred.

Below, we've rounded up eight prime examples, including a "cave-like" prayer hall in Turkey and a women-only mosque in Doha by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Zebun Nessa Mosque, Bangladesh, by Studio Morphogenesis

In lieu of an ornate mihrab niche indicating the direction of prayer, this mosque on the outskirts of Dhaka features an arched opening that frames views of a small lake, offering worshippers a serene escape from their industrial surroundings.

Punctuated with rectangular perforations, its pink concrete facade was coloured to reference the region's historic Mughal, Sultanate and Indo-Saracenic architecture.

"The perforations create an interplay of light seen in old Islamic architectures that are adorned with intricate 'jali' works," Studio Morphogenesis partner Saiqa Iqbal Meghna explained, referencing the use of decorative lattice screens for shading and privacy.

Find out more about the Zebun Nessa Mosque ›

Mamluki Lancet Mosque, Kuwait, by Babnimnim Design Studio

Mamluki Lancet Mosque was designed to marry the more contemporary architecture of Al-Masayel, a newly created residential district in Kuwait City, with traditional Islamic motifs.

Five stacked cuboid volumes form the prayer hall, rotated to align its foundations with Mecca and its roof with the surrounding buildings. This also creates the shape of an Islamic star when seen from above.

The rigid geometric facade is embellished with arch cutouts in homage to classical mosques of the Mamluk era and a series of half domes that climb up the building to form skylights and a towering minaret.

Find out more about the Mamluki Lancet Mosque ›

Bab Al Salam Mosque, Oman, by Altqadum

Omani architecture firm Altqadum stripped out any elaborate decorative elements from its design for the Bab Al Salam Mosque in Muscat, in the hopes of guiding attendants towards a "spiritual experience".

The complex is composed of five simplified, abstracted volumes, including a conical minaret and a circular prayer hall, rendered in a subtle rose hue informed by the colour of the nearby Al Hajar Mountains.

"There is a specific focus on enhancing the worshiper's experience by simplifying and eliminating elements that could disturb the tranquillity and spirituality," Altqadum architect Marwan Al Balushi told Dezeen. "Inspired by Omani heritage, the timeless design integrates geometric shapes strategically for acoustic and environmental benefits."

Find out more about the Bab Al Salam Mosque ›

Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women, Qatar, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Earlier this year, American studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro completed the first contemporary mosque in the Muslim world to be purpose-built for women in Doha's Education City.

Instead of a traditional dome, the structure is blanketed by a sculptural stone roof that swells to form a grand prayer hall on one side before sloping down to shelter more intimate social and education spaces on the other.

"As a woman, the project was a special opportunity for me to design a space exclusively for women that is flexible and responsive to real-time, everyday needs," explained studio co-founder Elizabeth Diller.

Find out more about the Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women ›

Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Bangladesh, by Marina Tabassum

This year isn't the first time that Marina Tabassum has won the Aga Khan Award. Back in 2016, the Bangladeshi architect was recognised for her Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, built on a shoestring budget and funded by donations from locals.

The design offers a modern interpretation of the red-brick mosques constructed in Bengal during the Sultanate period, with added perforations that allow light and air to seep inside.

A cylindrical volume placed inside the angular building houses the prayer hall, allowing it to be oriented towards Mecca without disturbing the existing street grid. This also created four voids in the corners that act as small courtyards.

Find out more about the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque ›

Punchbowl Mosque, Australia, by Candalepas Associates

A decorative vaulted concrete roof defines the prayer hall of this mosque in Sydney's Punchbowl suburb, referencing the domes and repeated geometric patterns often found in Islamic architecture.

Rather than being placed separately, the women's prayer spaces are elevated above the main hall in timber-lined galleries, placing "the female worshippers at the heart of the mosque".

"By assigning an equivalent significance to the periphery and the centre, the traditionally singular spatial order is re-conceived as fluid, multivalent and participatory," said Candalepas Associates.

Find out more about the Punchbowl Mosque ›

Mosque of the Late Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash, UAE, by Dabbagh Architects

Triangular cut-outs and a calligraphy spelling out a verse from the Quran provide the only decoration at this monolithic all-white mosque in Dubai by Dabbagh Architects founder Sumaya Dabbagh, which was among the first in the UAE to be designed by a woman architect.

Dabbagh used the perforations to create shifting patterns of sunlight throughout the interior and denote the direction of prayer.

"Muslim prayer is performed throughout the day at prescribed timings: at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and at night," she explained. "This discipline creates a human connection with the natural day and night rhythm."

"The experience created through the design of the mosque seeks to enhance this connection through a controlled introduction of natural lighting."

Find out more about the Mosque of the Late Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash ›

Sancaklar Mosque, Turkey, by Emre Arolat Architects

Crowned best religious building at the World Architecture Festival in 2013, Sancaklar Mosque on the outskirts of Istanbul consists of a "cave-like" prayer hall, set into a natural depression in the landscape.

Shallow terraced steps rise around the main building, accessed via stepping stones that lead across a shallow pool of water.

"Sancaklar Mosque aims to address the fundamental issues of designing a mosque by distancing itself from the current architectural discussions based on form and focusing solely on the essence of religious space," explained local studio Emre Arolat Architects.

Find out more about the Sancaklar Mosque ›

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