Dubai, UAE
Masjid bin Dafoos is located in a historic district near the Dubai Creek and Gold Souk. Essential to the project is the recognition that walls are not required in a place for prayer. Rather, a mosque is established through the inclusion of the elements of mihrab, ablution fountain, and minaret. The building itself is not necessary; the way in which worshipers decide to congregate around these elements defines the architecture. The project responds to this concept with a malleable space, a cloud of vertical facade elements of reinforced concrete surrounding the religious elements. Visitors can see directly through the space along the north–south axis, blurring the boundary between mosque and city.
