Makkah Museum Building, Mecca Design Contest, Saudi Arabia Architecture Competition Image
Makkah Museum in Mecca
KSA Architectural Competition design by Mossessian Architecture architects
Design: Mossessian Architecture, architects
UK studio wins competition to design Islamic museum in Mecca
UK studio Mossessian Architecture has won a competition to design Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Museum, a building dedicated to the Islamic faith.
It will occupy a site 7km from the Grand Mosque, in Makkah, which houses the Kaaba – the most sacred location in the world for Muslims
19 Jan 2016
Makkah Museum, Mecca
The new building will include 5,600 sqm of gallery space to host exhibitions related to the history of Islam along with a reception area, auditorium, book store, teaching space, roof garden and restaurant, reports www.designmena.com.
“The Makkah Museum will offer a unique interpretation and reflection of faith to the millions of Muslims who visit Makkah from around the world and who, up until this point, have had no cultural institution of this kind to enhance their visit to the holiest of Muslim cities,” said a statement from Mossessian.
The London architect practice teamed up with Paris exhibition design company Studio Adeline Rispal to enter the invited competition for the museum project.
Rispal designed a central void inside the structure to act as a “virtual minaret” that visitors ascend as they move through the exhibitions.
The studio said: “Both circular (like the celestial sphere) and ascending (symbolising the spiritual journey), the central minaret-shaped void calls upon the Muslim community to transcend earthly concerns through their faith – and pursuing the quest for knowledge onwards into infinity.”
At the top of the building will be a climate-controlled garden space, which is designed to be usable even in the extreme heat of Saudi Arabia’s summers.
The underside of the spiralling stairs leading back down will be inscribed with the 99 Names of Allah, which will be viewable from a dedicated gallery space at the bottom.
The outside wall of the museum will incorporate stone sourced from every country in the world where Islam is currently practiced. Hujaz rock from the mountains around Mecca will be used for the interior.
“Inside, the rock is used to create alcoves and plinths that visitors encounter as they mount the ramp,” said the architect. “These house the exhibition displays, which tell the story of the life of the Prophet and enrich understanding about Islam.”
Based in London, Mossessian Architecture was founded in 2005 by architect Michel Mossessian. This design studio has a large number projects currently under way in the Middle East and Africa, including the regeneration of the Place Lalla Yeddouna at the heart of the historic Medina in Fez, Morocco.
UK projects include mixed-use towers in London’s Paddington Basin and offices in King’s Cross.
Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
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Website: Mecca
