1. Al-Islah Mosque / Formwerkz Architects

Al-Islah Mosque by Formwerkz Architects, Images taken from Archdaily 

Designed with openness, Al-Islah Mosque tries to bridge the people’s lack of understanding of the Muslim religion through its open plan. Located in a densely populated Punggol new town in Singapore, Al-Islah Mosque serves as a religious center for the local Muslim community. With a capacity of 4,500 people, this mosque tries to reimagine the traditional and closed mosque into a more modern and open one, reflecting the contemporary Islamic aspirations in this area. 

Al-Islah Mosque by Formwerkz Architects, Images taken from Archdaily 

Upon entering the mosque, a voluminous and open plan houses the main prayer hall, making this area fully accessible from all sides, blurring the gap between the mosque and the outer world. With a minimum enclosing wall, every corner of the space is perfectly connected and blended. An elevated public plaza is linked next to the three blocks and functions as an extended praying area at peak times. From the outside, the traditionally private act of prayer is displayed for the public to witness. Housing three blocks, which consist of the main prayer block, the Islamic learning center, and the administration block, the mosque’s sanctity is preserved by the arabesque facades, articulated uniquely across those three blocks. This arabesque façade successfully presents the building’s identity while also performing a great show of the articulated motif of Islamic arts. 

Al-Islah Mosque by Formwerkz Architects, Images taken from Archdaily 

2. Light of Allah Mosque / Ibrahim Ma

Light of Allah Mosque by Ibrahim Ma, Images taken from Archdaily 

Nestled in the Xingping City of Shanxing Province, the Light of Allah Mosque offers an intimate space to connect with the Creator through its round structure. Enveloped with a white hue, this mosque has two levels specifically used for female prayers. With a belt of sky-lighted windows attached to the round structure at the top, allowing the daylight to stream in and form a round halo, this mosque presents a direct connection with God. 

Light of Allah Mosque by Ibrahim Ma, Images taken from Archdaily 

Moving languidly with time, the lights play different space experiences for 5 special hours during one-day worship. Besides the skylight, the walls are drilled with square holes of different sizes and colors to ensure the light streams during the day and night. A distinctive wall acting as the Qibla is designed 7 meters high with a unique light behind the wall, creating a sacred feeling. The white hue represents purity and distinguishes the building from the local environment, which is as pure as ceramics with the perfect surface. Through its round structure, this mosque serves as a place to escape the disordered lives and environment and come to a completely pure world. 

Light of Allah Mosque by Ibrahim Ma, Images taken from Archdaily 

3. Abijo Mosque / Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy

Abijo Mosque by Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy, Images taken from Archdaily 

Designed by Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy for the Abijo community in Lagos, Nigeria, the Abijo Mosque presents a fusion of contemporary architecture and indigenous culture through its materiality and geometric shape. The mosque is a double-volume box designed based on the essential archetypal elements of a mosque which can be accessed from three sides, completed with a mezzanine and a separate entrance. To further increase the mosque's capacity, the west, north, and south walls have openings with sliding panels that open up completely to extend the prayer hall to the galleries for Friday's congregational prayer service. 

Abijo Mosque by Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy, Images taken from Archdaily 

Abijo Mosque by Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy, Images taken from Archdaily 

The aesthetic of the mosque lies in its sustainable and locally sourced materials. A textured skin consisting of laterite, sand, and cement mixture coats the external walls while the insulation properties of the laterite wall keep the indoor space cool. Earthy colors spread on both the exterior and interior. The mild steel door panels were acid etched to give an earth-color rusty finish to add a more earthy tone. High-level louver windows with perforated sunscreens made from recycled paving stones help manage the thermal comfort inside the mosque. Further enhancing the interior, the ceiling presents forms and visual illustrations of geometric compositions that can be fundamental elements for the inside and outside religious buildings.

Abijo Mosque by Patrickwaheed Design Consultancy, Images taken from Archdaily 

4. Gargash Mosque / Dabbagh Architects 

Gargash Mosque by Dabbagh Architects, Images taken from Dezeen 

Covered in calligraphy ornaments, the Gargash Mosque is a minimalist and sacred place to pray alongside a busy road in the industrial Al Quoz area in the south of Dubai. Also standing as the first-ever mosque designed by a woman architect, Dabbagh Architects, in the UAE, the Gargash Mosque utilizes stone facades carved with the Quran verse and geometric shapes to present a fully intimate place where people can escape from the hustle and bustle of the world.  

Gargash Mosque by Dabbagh Architects, Images taken from Dezeen 

As a sanctuary and a calm space to communicate with God, the prayer hall is a spacious area filled with natural light that filters through the perforated stone facades, and its high ceiling with a dome conveys a sense of grandeur. The dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and night lights penetrate through every hole on the facades, representing the five essential times when people pray and enhance their connection with their Creator. Its minimalist design showcases the beauty of simplicity in Dunya’s life, creating a sense of sacredness and serving as a reminder of the temporary nature of this world.

Gargash Mosque by Dabbagh Architects, Images taken from Dezeen 

Gargash Mosque by Dabbagh Architects, Images taken from Dezeen 

5. Punchbowl Mosque / Candalepas Associates 

Punchbowl Mosque by Candalepas Associates, Images taken from Dezeen 

A distinguished mosque, Punchbowl Mosque presents a distinctive central worship space with a concrete honeycomb structure. Taking visual cues from the aesthetics of Islamic architecture, this honeycomb mosque accommodates up to 300 worshippers, with separate courtyards for ablution before prayer. The male entrance leads to the male ablutions room, while the female entrance leads to prayer galleries on the first and second floors, emphasizing the centrality of female worshippers. The concrete honeycomb structure allows natural daylight to illuminate the space throughout the day for the five prayer times.  

Punchbowl Mosque by Candalepas Associates, Images taken from Dezeen 

The prayer space features a sculptural, stepped wall with ornamental vaulting on the south and west internal walls, directing worshippers toward Mecca. The walls are adorned with 102 half-domed forms, resembling the honeycomb structure of muqarnas in traditional Islamic architecture. Each concrete muqarnas has a 30-millimeter hole at its center, allowing daylight to illuminate the space throughout the day for the five prayer times. The dome's geometry is achieved using marine plywood with hoop-pine veneer, creating a graded surface that follows the nature of a sphere. Above the prayer hall, a plywood-clad dome with an oculus brings natural light into the space. Also, a larger and more private courtyard is adjacent to the prayer space, which can be used for religious and cultural events. 

Punchbowl Mosque by Candalepas Associates, Images taken from Dezeen 

Punchbowl Mosque by Candalepas Associates, Images taken from Dezeen