A mosque and cultural center for seasonally resident Moslems on the Spanish coast. A sudden rise in the Arab population on the southern coast of Spain necessitated a cultural and religious center. The site is removed from the road linking Barcelona to Gibraltar between the sea and a mountainous inner country. The programme consists of a mosque, a library, two apartments and a covered gallery which borders the buildings around a large patio. The mosque defines the center of the composition. The library, archives and documentation offices are located to the northwest, and, on the opposite side of the court, are two identical apartments, one for the imam and the other for the librarian. The mosque's prayer hall is covered with a hemispherical cupola. Twelve columns around the central square support arches carrying the cupola. Above the two lateral prayer areas, two balconies for women to assist in the ceremony overlook the prayer room, which is reserved for men. Both spaces are separated by wooden screens within the arcades, and the four large prayer room windows are also screened to diffuse the strong daylight.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture