Indoor and outdoor lighting in the heart of Islamic culture

In the city of Sharjah, in the northern emirate of the same name in the United Arab Emirates, the mosque stands out for its magnificence. A true jewel of Islamic culture which opened its doors to worshippers and tourists in 2019, after five years of works. The Sharjah mosque is the largest in the entire emirate, measuring 190,000m². On an architectural level, it draws its inspiration from Turkish aesthetics, where the central dome is surrounded by smaller siblings, also present in the portico area (Riwaq). Gardens and fountains frame the complex which boasts an unparalleled grandeur, where the functionality of the place of prayer combines with the beauty of the structure in a vortex of majesty and faith. 


LIGHTING PAR EXCELLENCE FOR A PLACE OF WORSHIP

The Sharjah mosque lighting design project was handled entirely by the Light Concept firm. The goal was to give the place a specific identity through lighting. every detail of the outdoors and architecture, the interior and the façade, is highlighted ad hoc to create the most appropriate atmosphere for both prayer and tourism throughout the entire day. The lighting, branded Linea Light Group, played a key role in outlining a magnificent transversal path, with a control system that facilitates monitoring the quantity of light emitted throughout the physical space of the mosque. 

The Sharjah Mosque project involved the indoor and outdoor lighting of the entire holy complex. The functionality of the location was ensured by the use of products with indirect emission of 2700K colour temperature light. These measures prevent glaring for the worshippers, thereby creating the ideal intimate setting for times of prayer. Various Linea Light Group products were used in standard and customised version, depending on the technical lighting needs.

In the landscape around the mosque, we find Bond_Pro, a bollard in custom version, and Shaker, an outdoor projector that provides light effects capable of enhancing the areas around the building. Also outdoors, we find two more products dedicated to the description of the walls, the façades and the minaret towers. We’re talking about Xenia  and Archiline, linear elements for the outdoors that illuminate and outline the unique details of the mosque’s Arab architecture. As we approach the building, we can see Fasim J, an adjustable uplight for outdoor use that illuminates the columns located at the main entrance. Its particular optics provide a scenic and uniform distribution of the light upward.

For the columns at the rear of the mosque, on the other hand, the Vedette wall-mounted fixture was selected because, due to architectural needs, recessed uplights could not be installed. Zalex and Suelo, both outdoor uplights, were the wayfinding technical lighting solution to welcome worshippers at the gates (entrances) of the mosque. Once inside, in the common areas and the holy rooms (room of the Muezzin), three high lighting performance downlights were used: Loro, LV54 and Quantum. 

Last, but not least, the spectacular terraces that overlook the landscape of the architectural complex are illuminated by Paseo, a recessed linear profile. With asymmetric optics, this product was customised to meet the needs of the technical lighting project. 


Lighting Design: Light Concept