Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque
History
The Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque is
the prominent landmark in the new seat of government. Built right next to the
Millennium Monument at Putra Lake, the sacred building known colloquially as
the Iron Mosque proclaims the presence and strength of Islam. The unique
cooling system, which rendered air-conditioning and fans superfluous thanks to
GKD's Escale stainless steel mesh, lends the building its special atmospheric
quality. What's more, the semi-transparent spiral mesh provides worshippers
with reliable protection from the sun and rain.
Fabric windows With the completion of
the second main mosque in Putrajaya, the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque,
located just two kilometres from the Putra Mosque, the city gained a new
landmark. Larger, more modern and considerably different from the usual design,
the Iron Mosque sets contemporary standards. It owes its name to a structure
70% of which is made from steel. The aim of the planners and contractors was
for the building to characterise three design principles: simplicity, airiness
and transparency. A good five years after the start of construction in April
2005, the finished mosque is now a potent symbol of religious identity. A
modern interpretation of Islamic architecture, its 24m-high facade
characterises a purist steel structure with typical geometric ornamentation.
The rectangular openings of the meandering structure are visually connected by
a filigree facade made from 4,300 m2 of stainless steel spiral mesh. Each mesh
element is 7.70 m wide and up to 8.30 m long. Three of these elements each were
joined together on site, with the result that they rise with the height of the
facade and windows in an optically seamless manner. Secured almost invisibly
using hook bolts, they express the building contractors' desire for simplicity,
transparency and an openness to dialogue. Depending on where you are standing
and where the light is falling, the fabric mantle has a semi-transparent/opaque
or a metallic, shimmering or even a monochrome, light-grey appearance.
Projecting shadowy outlines, they reflect mankind and nature in its
environment, distinctively conveying to the outside world the harmony of
co-existence, which is also represented inside the mosque by the common prayer.
At night purposefully staged lighting brings the transparency to life in a
burst of illumination.
Natural air-conditioning In addition to
this symbolic appearance, the robust, maintenance-free mesh also fulfils
extremely complex technical functions. The plans of architect Nik Arshad Nik
Mohammed made provision for natural air-conditioning in the main prayer hall,
which offers space for 20,000 worshippers. In his draft he did away with glass
windows and developed the idea of a mesh skin acting as a protective membrane.
The prevailing tropical climate in Malaysia with high temperatures all year
round and heavy rainfall in spring and autumn proved a particular challenge in
terms of finding a suitable material: the Escale 7x1 spiral mesh from GKD -
Gebr. Kufferath AG - met the high demands for both transparency and technology
at the same time. Corrosion and heat-proof, easy to maintain, non-flammable and
resistant to mechanical influences, the stainless steel mesh was chosen
primarily for its almost unlimited service life and low life-cycle costs.
However, what was crucial in terms of its use was the laminating effect of the
mesh, thereby protecting against drafts while at the same time letting the
cooling wind penetrate the whole building as a pleasantly even flow. In this
way comfortable, natural air-conditioning which renders the use of
air-conditioning systems and fans superfluous, is created throughout the
mosque. Due to the window openings spread across the whole height of the
facade, the mesh is proving an effective means of protection against sun and
rain. At the same time the transparent woven structure, together with the soft
radiance of daylight, underlines the meditative atmosphere in the mosque.
Contemporary identity In any culture
designing places of worship is one of the most challenging tasks in
architecture. Combining the aesthetic with spirituality transforms them into
socially relevant buildings. Mosques, unlike Christian churches, are not a
house of God, rather they are multifunctional meeting places with no standard
formal canon. The only essential element for worshippers is the Qibla, a wall
of prayer which faces the precise direction of Mecca. The sacrality of the
building comes into being through the common prayer. As a place of prayer,
learning and teaching, the Iron Mosque in Putrajaya combines traditional
religiousness with a contemporary sense of identity. With its own design
vocabulary and functional aesthetic it is already considered a masterpiece in
the balance between nostalgia and modernism.
Description
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque sands out as one of the first mosques built featuring the contemporary and sustainable mosque design typology.
Details
Location
62100 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Worshippers
20000
Owners
Government
Architect Name
Dato’ Seri Ar. Nik Mohamed Mahmood - Ar. Nik Arshad bin Nik Mohamed (Kumpulan Senireka).
Year of Build
2009
Area
60000 sqm
Drawings
Map
History
The Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque is
the prominent landmark in the new seat of government. Built right next to the
Millennium Monument at Putra Lake, the sacred building known colloquially as
the Iron Mosque proclaims the presence and strength of Islam. The unique
cooling system, which rendered air-conditioning and fans superfluous thanks to
GKD's Escale stainless steel mesh, lends the building its special atmospheric
quality. What's more, the semi-transparent spiral mesh provides worshippers
with reliable protection from the sun and rain.
Fabric windows With the completion of
the second main mosque in Putrajaya, the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque,
located just two kilometres from the Putra Mosque, the city gained a new
landmark. Larger, more modern and considerably different from the usual design,
the Iron Mosque sets contemporary standards. It owes its name to a structure
70% of which is made from steel. The aim of the planners and contractors was
for the building to characterise three design principles: simplicity, airiness
and transparency. A good five years after the start of construction in April
2005, the finished mosque is now a potent symbol of religious identity. A
modern interpretation of Islamic architecture, its 24m-high facade
characterises a purist steel structure with typical geometric ornamentation.
The rectangular openings of the meandering structure are visually connected by
a filigree facade made from 4,300 m2 of stainless steel spiral mesh. Each mesh
element is 7.70 m wide and up to 8.30 m long. Three of these elements each were
joined together on site, with the result that they rise with the height of the
facade and windows in an optically seamless manner. Secured almost invisibly
using hook bolts, they express the building contractors' desire for simplicity,
transparency and an openness to dialogue. Depending on where you are standing
and where the light is falling, the fabric mantle has a semi-transparent/opaque
or a metallic, shimmering or even a monochrome, light-grey appearance.
Projecting shadowy outlines, they reflect mankind and nature in its
environment, distinctively conveying to the outside world the harmony of
co-existence, which is also represented inside the mosque by the common prayer.
At night purposefully staged lighting brings the transparency to life in a
burst of illumination.
Natural air-conditioning In addition to
this symbolic appearance, the robust, maintenance-free mesh also fulfils
extremely complex technical functions. The plans of architect Nik Arshad Nik
Mohammed made provision for natural air-conditioning in the main prayer hall,
which offers space for 20,000 worshippers. In his draft he did away with glass
windows and developed the idea of a mesh skin acting as a protective membrane.
The prevailing tropical climate in Malaysia with high temperatures all year
round and heavy rainfall in spring and autumn proved a particular challenge in
terms of finding a suitable material: the Escale 7x1 spiral mesh from GKD -
Gebr. Kufferath AG - met the high demands for both transparency and technology
at the same time. Corrosion and heat-proof, easy to maintain, non-flammable and
resistant to mechanical influences, the stainless steel mesh was chosen
primarily for its almost unlimited service life and low life-cycle costs.
However, what was crucial in terms of its use was the laminating effect of the
mesh, thereby protecting against drafts while at the same time letting the
cooling wind penetrate the whole building as a pleasantly even flow. In this
way comfortable, natural air-conditioning which renders the use of
air-conditioning systems and fans superfluous, is created throughout the
mosque. Due to the window openings spread across the whole height of the
facade, the mesh is proving an effective means of protection against sun and
rain. At the same time the transparent woven structure, together with the soft
radiance of daylight, underlines the meditative atmosphere in the mosque.
Contemporary identity In any culture
designing places of worship is one of the most challenging tasks in
architecture. Combining the aesthetic with spirituality transforms them into
socially relevant buildings. Mosques, unlike Christian churches, are not a
house of God, rather they are multifunctional meeting places with no standard
formal canon. The only essential element for worshippers is the Qibla, a wall
of prayer which faces the precise direction of Mecca. The sacrality of the
building comes into being through the common prayer. As a place of prayer,
learning and teaching, the Iron Mosque in Putrajaya combines traditional
religiousness with a contemporary sense of identity. With its own design
vocabulary and functional aesthetic it is already considered a masterpiece in
the balance between nostalgia and modernism.
Description
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque sands out as one of the first mosques built featuring the contemporary and sustainable mosque design typology.