Mega Mosque Opa Locka: Graduate Architectural Thesis Proposal

JASON BROSTOFF ARCH609 - THESIS

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Contents • Thesis Statement • Early Themes & Ideas • Site Analysis • Opa Locka, Florida - Demographics - Moorish Architecture • Miami-Dade Mosques • Moorish Style Mosques • MEGA-Architecture • Existing Conditions • Location Plan • Site Plan • Ground Floor • Mosque Floor - Vignettes • Sections • East Elevation • North Elevation • South Elevation • West Elevation • Full Mosque Render • Axis Render (Sahn) • Dawn Render (Prayer Hall) • Night Render (Sahn) • Park Path Render

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Thesis Statement Throughout the history of urban and suburban sprawl there has been contention about whether having areas of large suburban or urban developments was good for the environment and community around it. While this is a very important question to answer, it is not the question we will answer.

Instead, what about the forgotten product of these suburban/urban sprawl moments? How can a space that seems to be an afterthought become a change for the better?

These forgotten, often industrial zones, between these suburban sectors, is not pedestrian friendly relying solely on motor transportation. Along with this, these area do not seem like a destination people would want to travel to or spend time in.

Opa Locka, Hialeah and Miami Gardens are a perfect example of this suburban sprawl. The area is almost entirely ranch style homes, but at the edge of all three areas is an industrial wasteland. This space is mainly warehouse style buildings, large asphalt lots and other industrial style buildings and features. This space between these suburban hubs, is almost the complete opposite of the suburban surroundings.

However, within this zone there are two major attractions, that actually draw people to this unseemly area. Amelia Earhart Park and the Opa Locka/Hialeah Flea Market, draw people from all over southern Florida.

The majority of this industrial zone is in Opa Locka, which is one of the most unique cities in Florida and maybe America. Founded by internationally known aviator Glenn Curtiss in 1926, it has the largest collection of Moorish Revival architecture in the Western Hemisphere. The famous work of literature, 1001 Arabian Nights, inspired Curtiss and would be a recurring theme throughout the planning and building of the city. However, the surrounding area has no mosque or center of Islamic faith.

Welcome to Mega Mosque Opa Locka

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EARLY THEMES & IDEAS

THE THREE C’S

C:

CONNECTION

C:

COMMUNITY

C:

CREATIVITY

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Industrial

Residential

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Commercial

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SITE

SITE ANALYSIS Throughout the history of urban and suburban sprawl there has been contention about wither having areas of large residential developments was good for the environment and community around it. While this is a very important question to answer, it is not the question we will answer.

Instead, what about the forgotten edge product of these suburban sprawl moments?

How can a space that seems to be an afterthought become a change for the better?

Opa Locka, Hialeah and Miami Gardens are a perfect example of this suburban sprawl. The area is almost entirely ranch style homes, but at the edge of all three areas is an industrial wasteland. This space is mainly warehouse style buildings, large asphalt lots and other industrial style buildings and features. This space between these suburban hubs, is almost complete opposite of the suburban surroundings.

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While this industrial area, that is surrounded by suburban context, seems undesirable it actually has large traffic of vehicles and people. This influx of people and vehicles is due to four simple things; 1. Availability of major roads, expressways and highways 2. The Opa Locka Executive Airport 3. The Amelia Earhart Park - This park attracts people from surrounding area

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4. Opa Locka/Hialeah Flea Market - The flea market is normally crowded with people from across the South Florida Region.

OPA LOCKA, FLORIDA

Opa-Locka is one of the most unique cities in Florida and maybe America. Founded by internationally known aviator Glenn Curtiss in 1926, it has the largest collection of Moorish Revival architecture in the Western Hemisphere. These buildings include 20 buildings that are listed on the National Register. The famous work of literature, 1001 Arabian Nights, inspired Curtiss and would be a reoccurring theme throughout the planning and building of the city.

Curtiss commissioned New York-based architect Bernhardt Emil Muller to design Opa-Locka’s unique blend of Arabic, Persian and Moorish themes. However, this partnership was short lived and would lead to Muller leaving the project and Curtiss completing it himself.

The Opa Locka City Hall, pictured above, is a perfect example of this Moorish style, with the numerous domes, archways and use of color. These themes are seen throughout the cities planning and history. The pink and aqua colors that are featured in the City Hall can also be seen throughout the city itself.

JASON BROSTOFF ARCH609 - THESIS

13 The initial plans, devised in 1925, suggested a suburban Scherezade ( the storyteller in the frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the 101 Nights) mid a city grid bearing names such as Sultan, Ali Baba, Sharazad Boulevard (a convenient abbreviation) and perhaps one of America’s earliest Sesame Streets, a collection of amenities including a bathing casino, archery club and observation tower would arise. Over the next few years about 100 buildings would be constructed in this fantasy style.

Unfortunately, the city’s fantastical design hasn’t helped it sidestep the harsh realities of urban problems that have hit other cities. These issues include those of natural order, hurricanes and flooding, and those of social and economic background. The city currently, has a majority population of the black and Hispanic origins and are mainly on the low-income side. The average household income for Opa Locka is $14,320, which is about 50% below the national average.

DEMOGRAPHICS RACIAL DIVERSITY DENSITY MAP

POPULATION DENSITY MAP

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ANNUAL INCOME MAP

MOORISH ARCHITECTURE IN OPA LOCKA

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MIAMI-DADE MOSQUE LOCATIONS

MOSQUES

ISLAMIC CENTER OF GREATER MIAMI

SITE OPA LOCKA BORDER

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19 There are about eleven active established mosques in the Miami-Dade region.

Along with these mosques, there are a few small congregations without a formal home. In addition, there is also the Islamic Center of Greater Miami, north of the proposed site. This center is about 15 minutes drive from the site and is a great example of Moorish architecture in Opa Locka. The county, as a whole, is only 1% of the Islamic faith, however, the population has been steadily increasing over the last few years. A large number of this increase is to due with the migration of Hispanic Muslims.

ISLAMIC CENTER OF GREATER MIAMI

Moorish Style Mosque Design

Moorish architecture, is a style within Islamic architecture which was developed in the western Islamic world, mainly in the Spanish regions. This style of architecture is largely produced the hypo-style mosque for worship. Hypo-style mosques are one of main types of mosque styles, which features a structure supported by a vast sea of columns, at least one minaret, and a large open inner-courtyard known as a Sahn.

These mosques have a common path of circulation, starting at a Bab (gate) which normally leads into the inner sahn. This open air courtyard normally has a water feature that is used by patrons to clean themselves before entering the prayer area. Around the sahn are often spaces for patrons to store their shoes. Once patrons are clean and have removed their shoes they enter the area of prayer that features numerous columns, that can be used for prayer, and the Mihrab, a niche in the wall of a mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca. This point is toward which the congregation faces to pray. (East in the case of Opa Locka, Florida) JASON BROSTOFF ARCH609 - THESIS

21 The Kairaouine Mosque (Djemaa el Kairaouine) in Fes is the second largest mosque in Morocco, and a great example of a Mega Hypo-style mosque.

The building features a sahn that has a direct pathway to the Mihrab, with this central corridor being larger and more pronounced than the rest of the spaces in the sea of columns in the main prayer hall. This slight change in the regulated column grid, allows for an enhance view of the directional feature of Mecca. The mosque also has two minarets: the original one, the oldest Islamic monument in Fes, and the Burj an-Naffara (Trumpeter’s Tower). These features are common and important in a Moorish style mosque.

Mosque–Cathedral of Cordoba, Spain (Pictured to the Right) This Moorish mosque features hypo-style design, which includes the layout of numerous columns and arches that face the Mihrab and are used for individual prayer.

This mosque also features the sahn, in a open courtyard. This mosque has only one minarets.

The mosque is slightly smaller than the proposed mosque for Opa Locka Site.

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Cordoba Plan (within Opa Locka Site)

MEGA-ARCHITECTURE Mega Architecture, often also known as visionary architecture, was popularized by Neo-Classical architects, notably Boullée, Ledoux, and Lequeu. Boullée was known for his gigantic schemes for tombs and monuments were noted for their scale and stereo-metrical purity, while Ledoux was known his proposals for an ideal city, Chaux, contained many buildings that were expressive of their purpose. This idea of visionary architecture was often viewed as something of fantasy, an idealist way of design that might not be realistic. However, many of these designs and ideas were actually built in some form.

Boullée, one of the most noted visionary architects, idea of design focused on the making of architecture expressive of its purpose. He would do this through this visionary frame, designing these extremely large scale buildings and monuments.

One of his most famous works is his Cenotaph for Sir Isaac Newton, a gigantic monument. The building itself was a 500 foot tall sphere, which is taller than the Great Pyramids of Giza. (Figure Below) It was encompassed by two large barriers circled by hundreds of cypress trees. Boullée’s fondness for grand scaled designs has caused him to be characterized as both a megalomaniac and a visionary.

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EXISTING CONDITIONS

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LOCATION MAP

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SITE PLAN

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN: 1’ = 1/128”

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MAIN FLOOR PLAN: 1’ = 1/128”

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SECTION A

SECTION B

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EAST ELEVATION

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NORTH ELEVATION

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SOUTH ELEVATION

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WEST ELEVATION

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SUNRISE JASON BROSTOFF ARCH609 - THESIS

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