The Bait Ur Raiyan mosque in Bangladesh, with its spartan mien, repeals the ostentation and grandeur that is typically ascribed to mosque architecture since millennia. Retaining, however, the structural semiotics adopted in mosque design, Cubeinside—the Dhaka-based architectural and interior design practice responsible for making Bait Ur Raiyan—managed to impute the structure with the distinct and discernible personality that masjids embody. "This particular design is an exercise of abstract interpretation of basic symbolism of Islamic architecture. Geometry has been the principal tool for this abstraction in terms of transforming both the form and spatial quality,” the studio shares.

The mosque hosts four minars, a dome and a striking entrance. These abstracted semiotics of mosque design, superimposed on a cuboid mass, ascribe a hefty aura to the mosque, which is located on a typical rural site in Kalkini, Khasher Haat, Madaripur, in Bangladesh. Although a rural area currently, this region is rapidly transforming into a suburban area. Near Bait Ur Raiyan, flows the Arial Khan River and upon it, an overbridge that extends further and runs under the nose of the mosque. The small-scale mosque, with its double-storey mass and stable monolithic guise, stands amid a neighbourhood comprising mainly residential buildings and some government offices.

Near the mosque is private land owned by the project’s client, upon which one can find a badminton court and arable land populated with trees. The mosque (measuring 18 metres by 12 metres, with the capacity to host nearly 200 people) and its adjacent compound, ensure the creation of both a religious and meditative space in this semi-rural region, as well as a space for the community. Although a discussion on the provision of the zenana or women’s quarters, too, was initiated by the architects, the idea of integrating the same within the mosque was not encouraged by the stakeholders, revealing the monopolised nature of such constructions and the usages of these structures in most South Asian countries.

Further expanding upon the usage of abstract symbolism in Bait Ur Raiyan, the architects share, “Symbolism through geometric interpretation is an imperative feature of Islamic art and architecture. Islam prescribes a symbolic or suggestive approach rather than a literal representation of any sort. This makes geometry one of the most vital tools in the abstraction of symbolism in mosque design, which seeks its development through the philosophy and way of life." While the project brief for the mosque demanded the architects to integrate traditional symbolic elements of a mosque in the design, it still left room for experimentation in style. Hence, the designers took the opportunity to abstract traditional symbols found in mosque architecture. The minarets are retained, albeit as sculptural minimalistic elements and the entrance of the mosque, typically set up in the form of arched gates, is translated into a volumetric arch that is part of the structure itself.

Various elements and features in the mosque, such as the floating dome and niches in the wall, allow the influx of light and air. The floating dome, in particular, with its base finished in glass, permits the inflow of light into the interior space and helps create an openness, much like the vastness of the sky. “Light has been used as a building element here, rather than just an environmental parameter,” the architects assert. This can be seen in the integration of apertures on the north and south faces of the structure. The patterned spreading of light in the interiors further enhances its spiritual aura while also removing the need for artificial light during the day. The influx of air into the structure and the marble floors ensure that the interior of the mosque remains cool without any mechanical means, hence helping cut any unnecessary costs. The architects also ensured that the skylight and niches on the walls would not pave the way for the unwanted entry of rainwater into the interiors. For this, they designed proper plumbing systems.

Further, the usage of locally sourced red bricks and stones grants the structure a timeless demeanour, whilst also honouring Bangladeshi mosque heritage. The deep red hue of the bricks sits in contrast against the greenery of the trees planted in the compound. The mosque is supported by a reinforced concrete foundation and structural system and the hollow walls are made up of double-layer bricks with a 20-inch cavity in between and a single layer of English bond. The staging and scaffolding for the construction were done using local bamboo and the concrete elements in the design were cast manually. For instance, the semi-arched vaulted entrance was built using concrete, upon which one-and-a-half brick bonds were clad. Similarly, the dome was constructed with the help of a manually made metal sheet formwork, upon which concrete was cast and the mihrab (a niche in the wall marking the qibla for praying direction) was made with concrete, with the help of wood shuttering.

When asked about the challenges faced during the making process of the mosque, Khandaker Ashifuzzaman Rajon, founding partner of Cubeinside Design Limited shares, “Most of the challenges we faced for the construction was about the unconventional use of brick and concrete in the site. As it was built by the local masons, they were not confident in the structure with double height, curved walls, floating dome, volumetric arched entrance etc. Those were solved by detailed drawing production and hands-on instructions. As all the local mosques have direct ornamentation elements and this one was more abstract, we had to discuss this issue with the client and adjacent stakeholders and convince them about the inner meaning and beauty of abstraction.”

Project Details

Name: Bait Ur Raiyan
Location: Kalkini, Khasher Haat, Madaripur, Bangladesh
Area: 464 square metres
Year of completion: 2023
Architectural Firm: Cubeinside Design Limited
Lead Architects: Khandaker Ashifuzzaman Rajon, Shakhawat Hossain Rocky