Contemporary Renditions of Mashrabiyas...

Interior view of one of the canvas mashrabiyas...

Maysaa just returned from a brief visit to Bahrain, where she took some photos of some (mashrabiya) screens we designed (predominantly realized by Maysaa) for the La fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art. These were initially intended to be completed for our exhibition at the art Centre last year, but were only finished after the exhibition had already concluded. However, the client seems to be happy indeed with the end result.

Close-up, showing some of the 'extruded' light patterns on the wall, of the mashrabiya screen above...

In total three different renditions of the screen were used - two made of canvas which were used to frame some of the large windows in the entrance courtyard, which were laser-cut. The last version was cut with a water-jet out of steel. These panels were used on top of the peripheral of the fountain courtyard to provide additional privacy from the buildings surrounding the centre. These have by now rusted (which was intentional) to match the terracotta of the walls.

Close-up, here through an interior mesh-screen, of a canvas mashrabiya...

Included below are some additional photos (all taken by Maysaa) of the mashrabiya screens.

Exterior view of the screen above...

Entrance courtyard of the La fontaine Contemporary Arts Centre

Second laser-cut canvas mashrabiya pattern...

The pattern density changes across a screen as well as between adjacent mashrabiya screens...

An exterior view of the second canvas screen...

The water-jet cut peripheral wall screens surround the (inner) fountain courtyard. These block the views from the adjacent buildings surrounding the centre...

These mashrabiya screens' coat of rust blends well with the peripheral walls terracotta finish (above and below)...