TIME: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Public Spaces for Social, Technical & Environmental Innovation. Keynote lecture by Emre Arolat.
Historically, mosques have been at the forefront of architectural and construction innovation, serving as hubs of cutting-edge craftsmanship. This event aims to highlight a resurgence in this tradition within contemporary mosque architecture, focusing on how recent designs are embracing sustainability and providing social and environmental benefits. This paradigm shift signifies a move away from the prevalent historicist and pastiche approaches towards a more innovative ethos in mosque design.
Exemplary contemporary case studies will be presented, demonstrating innovations in construction systems, passive strategies, landscape integration, energy use, and programming. These advancements not only enhance the function and aesthetic of mosques but also offer insights and practices that could be beneficial across various faith-based spaces and the architectural discipline. In North America, where many mosques are situated in repurposed buildings due to high real estate costs and limited funds—since mosques are funded primarily by benefactors—discussions on best practices in adaptive reuse and exemplary climate resilient case studies are particularly pertinent and timely.
The keynote lecture will be given by Emre Arolat (EAA).