Social relativism: a critique on mosque architecture ; a community mosque in Hursthill (Johannesburg)

Abstract

Revivalist and eclectic mosques built today are naive, they portray the mosque as an enclosed monument ,a structure which does not speak about connectivity and inclusivity. The eternal idea of the mosque is a community development centre and a centre that allows for the full worship of God. This thesis is the manifestation of a search for a African/ South African Mosque architecture .The thesis looks at traditional African sacred space(all religions) and the essences of sacred space. These are merged together to create a mosque fit for the South African context of a dynamic ,multi cultural society. With its active program and openness ,the community development centre mosque allows for the development of its community with the end goal of creating an integrated community.