Zebun Nessa Mosque by Studio Morphogenesis

 Name of Project: Zebun Nessa Mosque

Location: Ashulia, Bangladesh

Architects: Studio Morphogenesis

Area: 6060 ft²

Year: 2023

Photographs:Asif Salman, City Syntax

Lead Architect: Saiqa Iqbal Meghna

Construction: IDS Adress Maker

Structural Consultants: TDM

A monolithic pink concrete mosque finds its location at the edge of an existing waterbody amidst a fast-growing industrial area on the outskirts of Dhaka City. The mosque is designed as a Permeable Pavilion that establishes a deeper connection between water and land, which serves as both a spiritual and breathing space within an industrial compound. The owner of the industry wanted to build a mosque for the workers to commemorate the memory of his late mother in the hope of inducing softness within the harsh industrial area. This narrative inspires the architect to design the mosque as a spiritual-social space, enhancing mutual care and trust between the owner and the workers.

The mosque incorporates elements that allow for filtered natural light and ventilation, creating a “breathing pavilion”. The mosque features a simple yet effective design, with a monolithic mass situated on a high plinth, reminiscent of the vernacular house forms built on ‘Bhiti’ (mound) in the deltaic landform of Bangladesh. The plan of the mosque evolves from simple geometric shapes, with a square surrounding a circular volume, to create four enclosed gardens that serve as light courts on each side. The outer square volume melts into subtle curves in the east and west directions to interact with the site forces. The northeast hanging corner of the curve wall defines the main entry, facing the existing node of the two main internal roads of the industrial compound. The thick concrete walls are perforated with small rectangular voids. Filtered light seeping through the voids resembles hanging lanterns of old mosques.

A shallow, thin shell dome levitates over the perforated curve walls, elevating the singular interiority of the prayer hall. The floating dome evokes the structural ingenuity of covering large space without intermediate supports manifested through the chronological development of mosque architecture in the Islamic world.

The ablution area is designed to induce a sense of spirituality during the act of purification before performing the prayer. The rustic pink mosaic floor becomes turquoise representing tranquility. The turquoise and pink mosaic with carefully laid broken brick pieces reflects the mastery of age-old craftsmanship where the use of these colors connects with the collective memories of the users. The used ablution water is recycled and reused to water the garden plants.