In a new neighbourhood under construction in Kuwait, the Kuwait Real Estate Company (AQARAT) has commissioned a mosque intended to become the spiritual and cultural focal point of the community. Barberio Colella Architetti has designed a building that combines the technique of 3D printing via the extrusion of cementitious material with the traditional structural system of reinforced concrete (RC), producing an architecture where technological innovation and cultural identity reinforce one another.
The concept reinterprets the fundamental elements of Islamic architecture in a contemporary key: vaulted spaces, mashrabiyyas as shading and ventilation devices, and zenithal skylights for natural light. The form is based on a modular composition of hexagonal and triangular shapes, creating a 297 m² diamond-shaped prayer hall — capable of accommodating 356 worshippers — covered by complex vaults with two central domes featuring skylights. The mihrab, on the wall facing Mecca, is illuminated from above by a zenithal skylight that creates a pool of natural light.
The construction system is the technical heart of the project: the 3D-printed parts act as permanent formwork for the reinforced concrete (RC) structure, creating a monolithic whole. Printing takes place in two stages — on-site up to a height of 3 metres, off-site for the upper modular elements — with the insertion of layers of fibreglass to improve flexural strength. The printed vaults, with optimised thicknesses, offer high thermal inertia that stabilises internal temperatures, whilst the large GFRC mashrabiyyas screen out solar radiation and promote cross ventilation.
The minaret, with its slender and slightly twisted form, completes the building’s identity. The materials — beige cement mortar (evoking sand), Burdur Beige marble, Iroko timber, and gold-coloured aluminium — form a palette consistent with local tradition yet realised with digital precision. The project includes COBOD as consultants specialising in 3D printing and Abyan Building Construction as the general contractor, establishing a complete supply chain from design to construction.
Technical specifications
· Client: Kuwait Real Estate Company (AQARAT)
· Typology: Place of worship (mosque)
· Area: 495 m²
· Prayer hall: 297 m² (capacity 356 worshippers)
· Status: Detailed design completed
· Lead designers: Micaela Colella, Maurizio Barberio (Barberio Colella Architetti)
· General contractor and co-designers: Abyan Building Construction WLL
· 3D printing consultants: COBOD (Simon Klint Bergh, Roshin Anthoora Valappil, Laith Sharar)
· Main materials: 3D-printed cementitious mortar, reinforced concrete (RC), GFRC (mashrabiyye), Burdur Beige marble, Iroko timber, gold-coloured aluminium
