The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque stands as a landmark promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence. It is a symbol not just of the Islamic teachings underpinning the Founder of the Nation’s vision, but also of his unfaltering respect for diversity. The Grand Mosque might be Sheikh Zayed’s final resting place, but the legacy that he left as a leader and his Islamic faith continue to live through the Emirati identity that he cultivated.
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Light and Peace Museum, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Visitor Centre
Interior Design (Built)
Firm
Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Architect/Designer
Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Design Team
John Blanchard, Vassiliki Holeva, Bob de Graaf, Andrew Gibbs, Cristina Salvi, Riccardo Mariotti, Josh Dudley, Ni-Tsia Cheong, Simon Milthorpe, Lai Couto, Mat Mason
Location
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Country
United States
Photographer/Copyright
©Andrew Lee
Website
https://raai.com/project/light-and-peace-museum-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-centre/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ralph_appelbaum_associates/
Facebook
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Whatsapp
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The Light and Peace Museum at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Visitor Centre is a permanent exhibition that forges connections between the Mosque and the wider story of Islamic civilization, as well as the scientific and cultural achievements that flourished from the coming of Islam. Spanning 1,050 square meters, the permanent exhibition encompasses different aspects of Islam while connecting the gallery space – making use of the height of the gallery and bringing in sound, scent, and light to create a sense of co-existence, openness, and shared experience.
The design approach is inspired by the quote from the Holy Qur’an: “God is the light of the heavens and the earth.’ Taking that idea that Islam is the light connecting the celestial and terrestrial realms, light is used as a unifying force throughout the exhibition. Expressed through exhibition and architectural lighting as well as media, light creates an atmospheric space for visitors to explore, and is used to highlight particularly prominent elements in the exhibition.
The centrepieces of the permanent exhibition are four interactive, three-dimensional models of the Al-Haram Mosque, An-Nabawi Mosque, Al-Aqsa Mosque and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosques. On each model, beams of light, synchronised with media, highlight elements of the architecture, while an LED ‘chandelier’ frames the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque model to give it special prominence. In the multimedia room, 3D scans of the full Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque site provide the basis for a 360-degree projection and immersive soundscape on the walls, floors, and ceiling. The media in this space takes visitors on a journey through time and space, with points of light following visitors’ movements as the Grand Mosque emerges from the desert, built of millions of points of light. The layout of the exhibition is also inspired by Islamic geometry and architecture, with a series of intersecting circles forming curved walls, partitions, and thematic spaces in a way that mimics the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque itself. The vision for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Visitor Centre is to celebrate openness and tolerance: establishing it as a defining characteristic of Islam, highlighting how, from when the Arab people first embraced the faith, right through the Golden Age of Islamic civilisation and up until today, this tolerance has fostered and inspired cultural enlightenment, artistic expression and scientific endeavour.
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