Mosque is a sacred place. It requires isolation from the materialistic life. The surrounding water body provides a sense of isolation and the entrance bridge is a preparation space to create a mindset. The perforated screen allows the daylight to create a different set of mood in the different times of the day. Water surrounding residential community (Village) is a very common scene in Bangladesh. The water surrounding the mosque relates to that and it creates a sense of purity. The space inside the mosque was kept simple where users can have a calm atmosphere to pray.
The mosque shows a contemporary tropical expression. The essence of crafted modernism is evident in here. The mosque surely creates the vernacular harmony between nature and people that stems from the very core of rural Bangladesh.
The rural setting of Bangladesh shows close relation and side-by-side existence of natural water and people. Each village home has a small pond beside it. These homes in the rural setting are self-sustained, naturally ventilated. They exist in harmony with the surrounding nature and green. The Denim Mosque created such a self-sustaining system, harmoniously set in the vernacular setting. The mosque is completely naturally ventilated. It celebrates the tradition of craft from rural Bangladesh.
The perforated screen of the mosque withholds a sense of crafted modernism in style. Its installation technique is inspired from the vernacular technology of mud block installation. The Denim Mosque is a low cost structure. In situ finishing materials are used instead of market materials. The floor is neat cement finished, screen has hand-made concrete block walls, roofing material is industrial sheet and ceiling is made with pine wood.
Team:
Architects: Archeground Ltd.
Principal Architect: Lutfullahil Majid
Associate Architects: Md. Jubair Hasan, Nabi Newaz Khan, Saurav Dutta, Md. Abdur Rakib
Structural Engineer: Mir Mosharrof Hossain Chowdhury
Construction: Amber Construction Team
Photographer: Maruf Raihan
Materials used:
Construction Technology: The mosque was completed entirely by locally available contractors and labor. The basic structure is mainly R.C.C and the screen is made of brick & handmade CC block.
Foundation: Individual R.C.C footing.
Structure: R.C.C Column and truss underneath the roof
Space: Functional space is surrounded by perforated screen
Roof: Roofing system-Low cost industrial sheet roof
Finish: Perforated walls are made of handmade CC block. CC micro tiles are used as floor finish. Ceiling is made of pine wood