Bringing Culture Into the Limelight

Nov 4, 2020

Italian lighting technology enhances the UAE’s Sharjah Mosque

 

Some places call for all the drama and elegance of custom-designed lighting that takes us out of the every-day and transports us into the realm of architectural splendor. The Sharjah Mosque is just such a place.
The largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates— covering 190 square meters—it finally opened after five years of painstaking work. Part of what makes viewing it such a spectacular experience is the carefully considered lighting systems by Italy’s Linea Light Group chosen by the UAE-based lighting design firm Light Concept LLC.

Extending from the Arabian Sea to the desert, Sharjah is a fascinating tourist destination known for its pristine landscapes and its exceptional cultural offering. A gem of the UAE, it sparkles with over 20 museums and no fewer than 620 churches and mosques. Of course, the Sharjah Mosque, completed in 2019, is the crown jewel. Inspired by Turkish aesthetics, it features a central dome, surrounded by smaller ones, an elegant porticoed area (Riwaq) and lush gardens enhanced by elegant fountains.

Such a variety of spaces require different types of lighting to showcase their specific aesthetic details.
The spectacular, custom lighting shifts from the dramatic Bond_Pro and Shaker fixtures used to light the external landscaping—in addition to Fasim J, Vedette, Zalex and Suelo to showcase the building’s monumental exterior and pathways—to the contemplative, warm recessed lighting of fixtures like Loro, LV54 and Quantum which reduce glare for worshipers while offering a clear vision of the exceptional interior details. Lastly, a custom version of Paseo was chosen as its flush-mounted linear profile with asymmetrical optics offered the perfect way to highlight the delicate, geometric fretwork of the terraces.

It’s encouraging to see companies working across cultures and national borders to provide us with beauty and drama. By showing a country’s cultural treasures in their best light, innovative lighting designers and lighting systems enrich our experience of spectacular places like the Sharjah Mosque.

 

Bonnie McClellan-Broussard 

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