Masdar City has announced the inauguration of its first mosque, Estidama Mosque.
Located in Masdar Park, the 500-square-metre domed structure, designed in collaboration with X-Architects, can accommodate 335 worshippers for each of the five daily prayers, and has been built to the “highest international sustainability standards,” it said.
Indeed, the mosque was created with a focus on passive design, an architectural technique that works with the local environment and a building’s physical components to minimise the need for energy-intensive cooling.
Skylights on the roof are compact, and traditional Arabic screens maximise natural light while minimising heat generated by direct sun, it was shared.
The building also has a low surface-area-to-volume ratio, an airtight building envelope, and high-performance insulation.
Other features which reduce the need for cooling include having the primary pathways to the building and the courtyard shaded by trees, as well as intelligent sensors within the building to enable precise management of lighting and ventilation based on building occupancy.
The mosque will use over 50 per cent less energy than a traditional mosque building, with solar photovoltaic panels, installed on the nearby car parking shades, producing a portion of the building’s remaining energy requirements.
There’s a focus on water conservation within the mosque, too, which conserves 48 per cent of its water.
A water treatment unit also allows grey water to be used for the irrigation of plants in the garden surrounding the mosque.
“Estidama Mosque is a powerful symbol of our commitment to our community, our faith, and responsible stewardship of the earth,” said Eng. Mohamed Al Breiki, Masdar City’s executive director of sustainable development.
“We’re proud of the fact that this unique design is on track to be Abu Dhabi’s first LEED Platinum mosque. Our designs meet all the requirements for both LEED Platinum and Estidama 3-Pearl, and we anticipate receiving the certifications later this year,” added Al Breiki.
Masdar City’s second mosque was announced during COP28 and is expected to break ground in 2024.
The mosque will be a much larger, net-zero energy building that will accommodate 1,300 worshippers.