Touching the sky

Being situated on the south bank of the Mediterranean Sea and due to its long and rich history, which also includes the roughly 130 years of French rule that first ended in 1962, the Algerian capital city Algiers has functioned as the most important hinge between European and Arabic culture over hundreds of years. A plethora of superb buildings demonstrate the meaning of the title “the white city on the sea” – among them the Great Mosque from the 11th century and the Mosque „Djamâa el Djedid“, finished in 1660, both of which can be found in the old City of Kasbah, listed under Unesco World Culture Heritage.

The design for the Grand Mosque which is meant to be built within the next few years between the old city in the south and the Mediterranean harbour, neighbouring just a few hundred metres further in the north, rises even higher than both the historical precedents. The world’s 3rd largest Islamic House of Prayer will have cost approximately 2ooo Million Euros when accomplished. Only the Mosque of Mekka and Medina, the two holy Sites of Islam, are larger. A total of 17 participants from 11 nations were selected to take part in the international competition.

Further in direction northwest one finds the 100 x 100 meter large Esplanade with a mezzanine level for 12,000 men and 8,000 women. Behind the hall of columns lies with a welcome centre and the garden of paradise with the Qur'anic school for 320 students. The functions mentioned are both framed and contained through the higher lying plateau with a beautiful view over the city where there is space for 45,000 people.

The other functions of the complex are positioned outside the plateau area. Among them the private boarding school formed by four separate squares set together and the two dining halls together with the administration building. Further east at the foot of the Mosque the houses of the Imam lie with their fine proportioned tensile covered structure similar to a tent. On top of these there are further representative, reception and work rooms for the Imam together with two apartments for special guests. Below the plateau there is also an underground car park with a total of 10,000 parking spaces on 7 levels. The traffic connection to the entire complex is from the underground coastal highway to avoid noise and to optimize the traffic flow.

Bridging Tradition and Modernity

As a present day answer to the centuries old building challenge „Mosque“ the design takes a conscious decision to move between the modern and the traditional interpretations of the Arabic-Maghrebinian architecture. “The geometrical motive of the square played a decisive role as well as the number 5, a most important number in Islamic culture, which served as the most important order and design number figure right down to the smallest detail of our design” explains architect Gerd Priebe. “That reflects itself immediately in the general order and in the inner structure of the individual elements for which we have used the strong geometrical design principle ‘five multiplied by five squares’.

Impressive examples for the rhythm of organized space are the esplanade and the paradise garden with the Qur'anic school. Also the space of the column hall was consequently divided into 5 x 5 areas. The edges of the resulting 25 fields are limited with small columns which together create a fascinating spatial experience. The halls extrude a universal clarity and geometrical order which calls directly to the visitor’s mind the famous “La Mezquita” in Córdoba with its 1000 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite.

Multifunctional Minaret

Directly beside the Mosque the minaret which is surrounded by a water pool towers into the sky with its sculptured surface. The 52 story high structure, built with high quality materials and served by an express lift, incorporates different functions – among them a Bistro, a shopping area and an oval shaped multimedia center with lecture halls that stretches over several floors. The central technical plant with uncountable controlling systems is situated on the 44th floor. For the optimal security of the complex there are also earthquake sensors and a preventive fire protection system.

A further function which is planned in the minaret is the museum for ancient history with 18 goblet shaped overlapping levels. The valuable exhibits are protected from the ultra violet sunlight beams through “Light wave conductors” which are optical fibres placed into the concrete. This construction allows also light and colour to be seen through the concrete forms. The visit to the visitor platform is the crowning moment on the visitor’s program. The platform, situated 235 metres high in the sky, offers a dreamlike view over the Mediterranean Sea harbour and the whole complex of the Mosque.