Architects Independent: Project Recap No. 2 - Contemporary Mashrabiyas...

Archipelago Mashrabiya

A set of contemporary renditions of Mashrabiyas, formed an expanded, and directly design related, larger scale adaptation of what was initiated by the PaperCuts project. These interpretations of a traditional mashrabiya differ, however, from the traditional mashrabiyas in that they, in these instances, were made out of paper or canvas (we've also now made a set out of steel, currently shading the windows at the la fontaine Centre for Contemporary Art in Bahrain, but more of those at a later date) and, unlike most mashrabiyas which are made out of a uniform, single layer (wood-dowel) patterns throughout, this set of mashrabiyas have three layers and have been customized to respond to the particular conditions and site they are intended to occupy. This might mean, for example, that the screens perforation pattern is customized provide maximum shading whilst simultaneously making the most of a locations view, or, alternatively, it could allow one to optimize the privacy of a space while still allowing light in to key areas of an interior. Most of the pieces included here are roughly 1800 mm tall, 700 mm wide and 50 mm thick, and were made by combining up to three layers of laser-cut paper of canvas with synchronized perforation patterns.
Included also are some images of a design, referred to as the 'Muscle-fibre Mashrabiya which we intend, some day, to get made by 3D printing (Rapid Manufacturing). The guiding principles and aims are the same as in the aforementioned mashrabiyas, however, in this case, as the design and fabrication process is three dimensional from the start, its formation has been somewhat different.

The mashrabiyas have been exhibited at the nous Gallery (London), la fontaine Centre for Contemporary Art (Bahrain), the Dar Al-Funoon Gallery (Kuwait), and are currently being used at a number of prominent residences.

The individuals involved in making the mashrabiyas were: Maysaa Al-Mumin, Paul Brady, Miguel Fonseca, Eisuke Kumagi, Carolyn Garden and Thomas Modeen.

The Archipelago Mashrabiya during two different times of the day...

The CAD file for the Archipelago Mashrabiya...

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The Bubble Mashrabiya...

The light is visible through the adjacent levels' perforations...

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The Flap Mashrabiya - in this instance the flaps can be folded inwards or outwards (or just left as is) allowing one to control the level of light or view...