Search Results (7)

Islamic ornamentation is important to mosque architecture, reflecting Islamic culture’s rich traditions and artistry. In contemporary European mosques, the challenge lies in combining these traditional styles with modern architectural designs, creating spaces that honor heritage and foster inclusivity among varied Muslim communities. These challenges impact mosque design’s cultural, esthetic, and functional dimensions, essential for sustaining Islamic identity. To explore how these factors influence cultural architectural expressions, this study examines ornamentation in four contemporary European mosques: Cologne Central Mosque (Germany), Cambridge Central Mosque (United Kingdom), Al-Ándalus Mosque (Spain), and Rijeka Mosque (Croatia). It evaluates their impact on cultural heritage, esthetic appeal, functionality, and Islamic identity within the context of modern architectural styles through a comparative analysis. The results demonstrate adaptations to local contexts and modern trends. Al-Ándalus Mosque reveals a strong identity by preserving traditional heritage, while Cologne and Cambridge Mosques balance tradition and modernity. Rijeka Mosque, heavily influenced by minimalism, reduces cultural richness despite a contemporary approach. Modern innovations like sustainable materials enhance functionality but sometimes dilute Islamic identity. The study concludes that integrating traditional elements with modern esthetics and functionality is essential to aligning mosque design with contemporary styles, while preserving Islamic identity and fostering a sense of belonging within Muslim communities in Europe. Full article

The ornamentation of historical buildings in Iran often features geometric patterns, which hold cultural and architectural significance. These patterns, rooted in Islamic tradition, are widely used in contemporary Middle Eastern architecture. By employing regular polygons, intricate designs emerge, forming interconnected tessellations and repeating modules. This paper focuses on uncovering hidden tessellations and geometric patterns within the southern Iwan of the Grand Mosque of Varamin. Through photography and field measurements, 8².4 and 3⁶ tessellations were identified. Using the Revit 2024 program, a novel method was introduced to model these patterns. By manipulating repeating units, designers can create diverse geometric latticework, preserving Islamic architectural heritage. Furthermore, these patterns offer practical applications beyond ornamentation. They can serve as architectural elements in urban environments, such as fences or enclosures, enhancing privacy in residential spaces and contributing to urban aesthetics. This approach facilitates the integration of historical patterns into contemporary architectural designs, enriching both cultural identity and urban landscapes and is a step toward smart cities. Full article

Recently, scholars have embraced sustainability as a crucial concept deeply ingrained in architectural designs, particularly Islamic geometric patterns (IGP). These patterns hold significance in reflecting Islamic history, identity, and culture. This systematic review explores how scholars have integrated IGPs into modern design, considering the sustainability aspect. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) reporting checklist was used due to its organized structure as a guide to conduct this review (2012–2022). Data was collected through recognized databases (i.e., Scopus and ProQuest) that house a wide array of journals and publications. Selected journals were categorized based on sustainability pillars—environmental, economic, social, and cultural. In addition, case studies from the region are discussed, as studies didn’t explicitly explore the connection between sustainability and the use of Islamic geometric patterns in modern design. Findings indicate that papers predominantly discuss the positive effects on environmental and economic sustainability through IGP implementation. Conversely, social sustainability received comparatively less attention from scholars. Case studies showed that most building designs in the Middle East use IGP to conserve Islamic history and identity, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This review sheds light on the potential of geometric patterns as a vehicle for sustainable design and contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable architecture. Full article

A metamaterial with controllable positive and negative thermal and hygroscopic expansions is investigated herein by inspiration from a range of Islamic geometric patterns. Constructing from eight pairs of pin-jointed Y-elements, each unit cell manifests eight rhombi that are arranged circumferentially, thereby manifesting four axes of symmetry. By attachment of bimaterial spiral springs of contrasting expansion coefficients to the far arms of the paired Y-elements, a change in the environment’s thermal or hygroscopic condition alters the offset angle of the paired Y-elements such that the unit cell of the metamaterial ranges from the eight-pointed star to the regular octagon. The effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the coefficient of moisture expansion (CME) of this metamaterial were developed for small and large changes in environmental fluctuations using infinitesimal and finite models, respectively. Generated data indicates that the sign and magnitude of the effective thermal and hygroscopic expansion coefficients can be controlled by geometrical descriptors of the bimaterial spiral spring—such as its coil number and the ratio of its mean radius to its thickness—as well as the properties of the bimaterial’s layers such as their expansion coefficients, Young’s moduli and, in the case of effective hygroscopic expansion, their relative absorptivity. The obtained results suggest that the proposed metamaterial can be designed to perform as highly sensitive thermal and/or moisture sensors, as well as other functional materials or devices that take advantage of environmental changes as stimuli. Full article

This study used innovative computational design tools to improve a corridor’s visual and environmental conditions, such as solar radiation exposure and optimal daylighting, at the University of Sharjah’s (UoS) campus in the United Arab Emirates. The research methodology used computational design software to develop two sets of codes. The first set was dedicated to conducting environmental study simulations that assessed the corridor’s performance and classified site-dependent parameters such as sun path analysis and wind rose diagrams, and pattern-dependent parameters such as solar radiation analysis and shadow study diagrams. The second code set generated Islamic geometric patterns, following the design scheme of the University. Varying typologies were produced using the two parameters to change the pattern’s porous size, shape, and gradient. Full article

A 2D mechanical metamaterial exhibiting perfectly auxetic behavior, i.e., Poisson’s ratio of $-1$, is proposed in this paper drawing upon inspiration from an Islamic star formed by circumferential arrangement of eight squares, such as the one found at the exterior of the Ghiyathiyya Madrasa in Khargird, Iran (built 1438–1444 AD). Each unit of the metamaterial consists of eight pairs of pin-jointed Y-shaped rigid elements, whereby every pair of Y-elements is elastically restrained by a spiral spring. Upon intermediate stretching, each metamaterial unit resembles the north dome of Jameh Mosque, Iran (built 1087–1088 AD), until the attainment of the fully opened configuration, which resembles a structure in Agra, India, near the Taj Mahal. Both infinitesimal and finite deformation models of the effective Young’s modulus for the metamaterial structure were established using strain energy approach in terms of the spiral spring stiffness and geometrical parameters, with assumptions to preserve the eight-fold symmetricity of every metamaterial unit. Results indicate that the prescription of strain raises the effective Young’s modulus in an exponential manner until full extension is attained. This metamaterial is useful for applications where the overall shape of the structure must be conserved in spite of uniaxial application of load, and where deformation is permitted under limited range, which is quickly arrested as the deformation progresses. Full article

In this paper, we present a new model for simulating an interesting class of Islamic design. Based on periodic sequences on the one-dimensional manifolds, and from emerging numbers, we construct closed graphs with edges on the unit circle. These graphs build very nice shapes and lead to a symmetrical class of geometric patterns of so-called Islamic design. Moreover, we mathematically characterize and analyze some convergence properties of the used up-down sequences. Finally, four planar type of patterns are simulated. Full article