August 10, 2004
isfahan
the interesting thing about this mosque is that the interior courtyard space has taken precedence over the exterior facade, which really ceases to exist. it is like a building turned inside-out, and is only seen from the inside. the building has grown in every direction and blends seamlessly with the surrounding city streets and buildings. empty space gives significant presence to a building that is otherwise imperceptible and seemingly nonexistant.
Alan, I love these images. Do you happen to have any photos of the way the mosque builds into the surrounding neighborhood?
Never mind, I just did a Google search. This page has some more images, including one of the mosque in context. It really points out what you're saying about the courtyard as the focal space; it's at a weird remove from the surrounding city.
Posted by: seth at August 11, 2004 01:50 PMthis map is also like the rugs
alan, do you know how empty space functions in muslim worship, prayer?
the empty spaces on the carpets are called "door to paradise" or "gate of paradise". a friend and i have discussed this as having interesting potential for visually contextualizing the message of Christ- The Gate. i have a drawing that i can show you later where we put a torn curtain in the gate of a rug type design.
otherwise, empty space is probably the result of islamic philosophy and theology influencing design- "God has no associates", "God is spirit", etc. i think that pattern and less-is-more design simply points to the transcendence of God in their methods and decisions.
Posted by: alan at August 12, 2004 03:40 PM