Description
This mosque is a well-known floating edifice in the country. The building of a mosque by a lake or water body is quite common in Malaysia. Water is commonly associated as a natural cooling element that will help cool its surroundings in the country’s hot and humid climate. The As-Salam Mosque stands sturdily at the edge of a man-made lake in the township area of Puchong Perdana in Selangor. Recently, the mosque was acknowledged as one of the most outstanding mosques built by the Malaysian Government. Popularly called the Floating Mosque, it was officiated by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah in 2006. The one-and-a-half storied structure has been serving the local populace with many accommodating facilities and amenities. Aside from the main prayer hall and a female prayer gallery, there are office rooms, a travelers’ inn, meeting rooms, classrooms, library, multipurpose hall, mortuary, store room, pantry, toilets and ablution facilities.
It is sited next to a public park and within the vicinity of a school and many residential areas. The three massive domes that crown the building have become an important and easily identifiable feature that can be seen from afar. The hemispherical domes of Arabian and Byzantine influence sit on two-tiered clerestory windows at its base.
On the south side, a towering minaret accompanies the side of the mosque proper. It is built as a slender pointed structure made into four tiers. Unlike the dome, a tapered, pointed dome is placed atop the minaret, is reminiscent of Ottoman influence. The minaret and the mosque’s building comprise several tiers and sections, defining the internal spaces, varying heights and volume. The forecourt is presented with a large entrance porch-cum-lobby area of the mosque. A grand staircase leads
worshippers from the drop-off area to the upper floor, where the main prayer hall is located. A straightforward design and finishes were used, so as to reduce the excessive usage of elaborate embellishments and to replicate Islamic elements or features in a postmodern design approach.
The mosque expresses Islamic design with the interplay of pointed arches and Islamic geometrical patterns. Inside the main prayer hall, a similar approach has been used to allow sufficient daylight to enter from various sources across the hall. Within the prayer hall, the free-standing pillars with mechanical fans provide much needed ventilation. Beautiful tile work marks the mihrab wall, with an arched window located at the center. A beautiful glass embellishment window frame with a detached minbar pulpit made of timber is located to the right
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