The oasis functions as the central element of the project and is covered, to generate a comfortable environment, with a curved layer in a golden finish as a metaphor of the Qur’an, resting on four buildings that house the indoor programs.
The proposal consists of a plaza with a central water crater, covered by a huge torus that ensures the lower open space has adequate comfort conditions through shading, which will change throughout the day thus making the space dynamic.
The proposal consists of a library surrounded by five plazas symbolizing the five pillars of Islam; the main floor and the accesses are burrowed five meters below street level, aiming to keep the complex sheltered from the busy activity of the city.&
The complex includes two gardens – that of access at street level and the interior one on level -5; four ‘tents’ located at the angles, whose geometric repetition gives the whole an overall image; and a bridge pointing towards Madinah.
Aiming to produce different atmospheres, the proposal is a tapestry constituted by a series of volumes and landscapes that converge at the Gold Spiral. Underneath it, the imposing dome of the Acoustic Center is a space to read the Qur’an.
The design focusses on the idea of oasis as landscape and proposes a land art approach: the large three-dimensional roof rests on five columns that contain the vertical communications; their tesselated surfaces evoke the traditional architecture.
With a circular geometry, the project proposed fulfills the objective of buffering noise from the nearby airport by means of elevated roofs and terraced walls with vegetation, which make reference to the Islamic city and to the gardens of Babylon.
