Nowadays, Istanbul is dominated by towers – phenomena that has had a great impact on the cultural and religious institutions present within. The mosque used to be the main protagonist of the skyline of the city but now it is encroached by the evolution of vertical constructions which reduce its predominant character.
The solution to make bigger mosques or to find more secluded areas does not address the crisis faced by the mosques following the increasing dynamism of the city. Perhaps it is better to not insist on the implementation of strict regulations in the city but, rather, to invent a new way of designing mosques as part of a new vertical city.
The mosque has played, for many centuries, the role of social condenser by attracting several programs around it. It is aimed to keep this tradition that sees the mosque as an intrinsic part of the urban structure and not only as a monument detached. The city and the mosque must be in harmony.
‘The mosque in the sky‘ supports the idea of maintaining the elements of the mosque, which help to communicate its purpose and functions such as the dome, minarets and courtyard. In this proposal, they are reinterpreted.
