Space-provider or invader? The identity of community built mosques in multi-cultural suburbs of Johannesburg

After the Group Areas Act of 1950 was abolished on the 5th of June 1991 in South Africa, non-white Muslims were able to reside in suburbs that were regarded previously as white only suburbs. As Muslim families moved into these suburbs, a need for local mosques to be built arose. This was to facilitate the five daily prayers and the religious education of the Muslim community. These new mosque were built in a space that previously had no Muslim presence and as such took on a far deeper meaning the historically accepted symbol of Islamic identity. Grabar (2004:40) states, “the building known as a mosque is permanently and appropriately associated with the presence of Islam”. This symbolism has not changed, however the mosque now faces the challenge of associating itself with the community it serves. This study aims to critically analyse existing mosques from the last 10 years to determine how multicultural communities have influenced the interior design and architectural identity of the mosques based on the challenges faced when developing the mosque. As the presence of mosques have been a key point of debate in Europe, as stated by Allievi (2010:13) “conflicts over building mosques in Europe are multiplying”, considerable research has been undertaken in that part of the world, however here in South Africa no research has been done in the field of interior design and detailing on local mosques. 

Space_provider_or_invader_The_identity_o.pdf