My innovative design for a mosque in the immigrant neighbourhood of Lombok-Oost in Utrecht is intended to improve the social and societal situation of a Muslim community. As a component of urban redevelopment in this typical immigrant area, the local mosque has to be part treasure-house of Muslim identity and part home of public life for the local residents. There they can play cards, taking dancing lessons, borrow books or leave their children at the day care centre.

I developed the guidelines for the design from analyses of the religion, history and social-societal background of Muslims in the Netherlands and the Arabic world. The building, taken as a physical presentation of Islam, can serve to stimulate the development of a third generation of young Muslims and help to shape their identity. My design is to contribute to creating a close-knit, politically assertive mosque community. The imam in his position of broad responsibility works to build bridges to the communities around him.

At the centre of the multicultural neighbourhood is Lombokplein. A layering in the transition from this busy public square to the entrance hall of the mosque prepares visitors for the special functions inside. The mosque is also a community centre. Enfolding a space in the city and with a range of public duties inside, the building acts as an extension of the public realm.

The space plan of the neighbourhood mosque is predicated on the traditions and customs of Islam. It is unusual to see a prayer space in a building which, for the neighbourhood, is a house of community interests, for socializing, meetings and public expression. The prayer space, which is turned towards Mecca, floats above the secular neighbourhood programme. I have sought the correct layering by imposing limits and making the whole coherent, from the way the programme is organized and the choice of materials down to the smallest detail. The routeing and organization of the interior programme, rather than forcing mutual encounters, offers room for coincidences.

Architecturally, the mosque takes the Islamic style and transforms it to suit the present context. To this end I have judiciously deployed symbolism as a model of religious identity. Style elements such as geometry, calligraphy and vivid colours give the building an identity and the community a memory. The materialization and detailing exploit similarities between the architecture of Lombok and the rich and diverse architecture of Islam. Every part of the design is the result of a quest for innovation, with a suitable balance struck between continuity and change.

Place of education: TU Delft | Specialization: architecture | Tutors: Robbert Nottrot, Kees van Weeren, John Heintz