‘In What Style Should We Build Dutch Mosques?’: A Critical Analysis of the Role, Meaning, and Sociocultural Implications of Dutch Mosque Architecture

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2020-01-15
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en
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In order to stop treating mosques as ‘space of Otherness’, it is vital to understand the factors which cause them to be perceived as such. An overview of the involved factors has been created which shows in what ways the ‘heterotopic fence’ between mosques and society can be adjusted. These factors include, for example, the architectural appearance, geographical location, its iconicity, the level of communal interaction, the demographic and socio-economic setup of the neighborhood, and the funding of the mosque. Recently, architects have been searching for ways to leave the previous ‘hidden-’, ‘nostalgic-’, and ‘polder mosque’ categories behind by making use of an architectural concept known as ‘Fusion architecture’. Fusion, an architectural mindset rather than a distinct style, paves the way for a heterotopic equilibrium between Dutch Islamic houses of worship and the neighborhood in which they function.
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