IGA Mosque

Celaleddin Çelik

Invited competition project for Istanbul Grand Airport Mosque

Developed within the invited competition held at Istanbul Airport, the IGA Mosque was conceived as a contemporary interpretation of historical experience and spatial memory. Rather than repeating established forms, the project seeks to reconsider the essential idea of space that lies at the heart of mosque architecture.

The building takes shape through a configuration that gathers at the center yet opens itself to its surroundings. The expansive inner courtyard becomes a place of encounter at both the urban and devotional scales. This spatial openness continues the classical courtyard tradition while resting on a contemporary structural language. Inside, light, water, and shadow become the fundamental components of the architecture. The central water element establishes a sense of calm, and the space rising around it aims to be experienced not merely as a volume but as an atmosphere.

The structural system is an abstracted interpretation of the traditional column order. The warm texture of wood, combined with the weight of exposed concrete and stone, creates a sense of harmony within the building. The pulpit and lectern recessed into the wall preserve the architectural unity of the surfaces while remaining fully functional. This approach turns the space itself into a layer of meaning rather than relying on ornament.

In the exterior, the arcades mediate between the building and the human scale, forming a permeable boundary around the prayer area. The fountain embedded in the minaret’s body brings water once again to the center of daily life and reinterprets its symbolic role in mosque architecture through a contemporary lens. In the evening, the warm light emanating from the interior transforms the structure into a gentle beacon.

IGA Mosque stands at the threshold where a historical language meets the spatial aspirations of the present. It is neither an imitation nor a rupture. It seeks to build a bridge across time, bringing the knowledge of the past into dialogue with the intuition of the future.