Project Description
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly white star lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things. - Surah An-Nur 24:35 Nur, a mosque highlighted as the ‘Light of God’. The term, Nur may refer as ‘Light’ in the word of Arabic. Having minaret wall as the landmark to attract and direct people into the building, and experience the redefinition of ‘light’ throughout the walkthrough journey. To emphasize on redefinition of ‘light’, Nur is being designed as a space where people gather or pray. By then, their lives being ‘lighten up’. With words of wisdom, encouragement, sharing of kindness, caring or even appreciation towards the surrounding. ‘the glass as if it were a pearly white star lit from the oil of blessed oil of a blessed olive tree, …’ Light upon Light The design of Nur was to reinterpret the concept of the ‘blessed olive tree’, as spaces being placed in clustered form, while having main prayer as the growing ‘trunk’ of the tree. Thus, addressing the main prayer hall as a space to grow of individual self, spiritually. To enhance the sanctity of this space, lighting designed was focusing on the concept of ‘Light upon Light’ as mentioned in the verse above. By allowing daylight to enter from above and from the side. The roof of main prayer hall is designed with long stretch of opening gap, where daylight enters and forms focused lighting on the floor directing a way to the prayer direction, Qibla. The movement of the reflected lighting tells the time of the day as the time pass by. Light is the Way If there is a tree growing, there would be roots. Nur is designed with clustered placement of spaces as mentioned before, where the routes linking all these spaces to the core, or should say the ‘trunk’ could be interpreted as the roots. These roots, are being exposed with daylight, to define itself clearly from the building around, as the right way to explore the truth of life. And the truth of life, are found by prayer, by drawing close and creating intimacy relationship with God. Thus, lighting is no longer just a form of illumination, but an interpretation of the analogy of the lamp described in the verse, ‘His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, …’. ‘…, the glass as if it were a pearly white star lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire.’ Lit of Light Minaret wall of Nur, designed as a core to draw attention of the public. The walls being ‘shaved’ to allow maximum entrance of daylight. Various placement of walls was being experimented, and the final decision were made as it gives a certain level of sanctity from the ‘secular’. Daylight, is being further transferred into the narrow openings of the roofs clustered. Spaces surrounding the main prayer hall were experimented as well with skylight openings to evoke different moods and emotions. Single narrow skylight opening has been chosen by with different angle of placement.