2008 Galleries
The Spark Gallery pages are one of our most popular design destinations, with thousands of visitors each year. Check out some of the latest Spark entries, in the galleries below.
Galleries // 2008 Spark:Pro // Qatar Petroleum Mosque
Qatar Petroleum Mosque
Winner - Bronze
Competition: Spark:Pro
Designer: SOM Design Team
Design Type: Architecture, Places of Worship
Company / Organization / School: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Located in Doha, Qatar, the QP Mosque is formed by two concrete leaves that wrap and enclose a large prayer space that accommodates over six hundred worshippers. The mosque sits in a clearing, which forms an iconic threshold approached on numerous informal paths from the surrounding business district. The male prayer area is located between the two leaves, with associated ablutions inside the east leaf. Men enter the eastern leaf at the ground floor and pass through a lobby with ablutions before entering into the main prayer hall. Women enter through the western leaf and ascend to the mezzanine level. The female prayer and ablutions space are located in a mezzanine area and look down into the main volume through punctures in the concrete leaf. Lighting is recessed into the floor and gently uplights the space increasing the sculptural quality of the leaves and the space they form. Above, a thin slot between the two leaves allows light to penetrate the space, raking the leaves as it enters. The internal finishes attempt to create an elegant and solemn space. The floor is limestone with carpeted prayer area, the walls are an elaborate shape pressed copper controlling the direct sunlight.
