1 December 2014
The Nov/Dec 2014 issue of the Southeast Asia Building magazine featured the upcoming Maarof Mosque. Strategically located near the junction of Jurong West Avenue 2 and Jalan Bahar, the mosque stands out for its grand, voluminous prayer hall, crowned with a dome.
The development of this new mosque was first announced by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of muslim affairs, in 2010, to cater to the growing Muslim population in the area and to ease overcrowding at the existing mosques.
The article notes that the mosque was named ‘Maarof’ to commemorate an older mosque by the same name, located near Beach Road until 1996 when it had to make way for development. Given that mosques in Singapore can typically house 500 to 6,000 worshippers, Maarof would be one of the bigger mosques.
The mosque’s design was first shared with the muslim community through roadshows held in June and July 2014. Feedback will be incorporated into the final design.
A more prominent minaret will be built. Departing from the conventional minaret design, the mosque takes on a fresh approach, conceiving the minaret as a pavilion perched on the roof terrace. This allows an appreciation of the minaret from a different perspective.
Kufic patterns adorn a feature wall, complementing the design of the prayer hall. A grand entrance will welcome worshippers. It features a floating mass, clad with an intrinsic Islamic pattern. With the exception of the offices and seminar rooms, the entire mosque is designed to be naturally ventilated.
There will be more seating areas for the elderly within the prayer hall and more spaces for community activities. Bicycle stands will also be built. Due to open in the third quarter of 2016, it can accommodate 4,500 devotees.
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