Jame Mosque

The community asked for a mosque in a recognisably traditional language rather than an abstract one, and the design takes that seriously instead of treating it as a constraint.

The prayer hall is fronted by a full-width arcade of pointed arches, which does real work: it shades the hall, holds the overflow congregation on Fridays, and gives the building a clear public face. Above it sits a group of ribbed domes, with the largest over the centre of the hall and smaller ones stepping down to either side. A single minaret stands clear of the mass at one end.

The mosque is placed directly against a pond, so the whole elevation is doubled in the water. The forecourt is paved and planted with palms, and the ablution facilities are held in a low wing to one side to keep the main approach clear.