6 Al Medy Mosque - En - Auroville Earth Institute

Al Medy Mosque built in 7 weeks in the heart of Riyadh
AUROVILLE EARTH INSTITUTE – MAJOR PROJECTS
BUILDING AL MEDY MOSQUE IN 7 WEEKS
Al Medy mosque has been built in the heart of Riyadh, for Ar Riyadh Development Authority. It was the first step of a technology transfer in
earth architecture from Auroville to Saudi Arabia.
This mosque of 420 m 2 is covered with a vaulted roof and has a minaret of 18.05 m high. It has been built in only 7 weeks with semi skilled
labour, with the technologies developed in Auroville.
Al Medy mosque was a finalist for the Aga Khan Award of Architecture in 2007. The project was granted in 2010 the first prize “Prince Sultan
Bin Salman Award For Urban Heritage”, Al-Turath Foundation, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Inspiration for the mosque, which had been conceived by a Saudi architect Mr. Sami A Al-Jubair, came from the Riyadh Development
Authority, who is interested to promote indigenous-style architecture in Saudi Arabia, through using modern building techniques.
The contracting company in Riyadh, Jazirah Gate Co. was unable to handle all the specialized work required, and Satprem was contacted in
July-August 2003 to design the mosque, start the earth blocks production and organize everything. Satprem did the entire design of the
mosque, except for the foundations, which were done by the Syrian Engineer Mohammed Abdulaziz. The latter helped also in the
construction process with some site supervision.
As the Auram press 3000 was ordered too late by the contracting company, it did not arrived before the departure of Satprem, end of August. Satprem could hopefully manage to take back a Belgian press that he
used 15 years ago when he built an exhibition centre near Riyadh, in 2 months for the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yambu. Thus the block production could be started end of August with a minimum training of
the labour.
Note that the Belgian press could not produce the various qualities of blocks required for building the vaults and domes of the mosque, and its block size was not adapted to the design of the mosque. Therefore, its
mould had to be modified so as to give the proper block size for the walls. When the Auram press arrived, the local team could go ahead producing about 160,000 blocks required in 32 shapes/sizes with the Auram
press 3000 and the Belgian presses.
The contracting company could not manage to produce all the blocks and prepare the foundations and slab for the construction period, to be started in December 2003. Therefore, when Satprem came back with
Ayyappan and a team of 4 other specialist workers they found a site not ready and they had to spend 2 weeks to finalise everything and prepare the work needed to start the construction site.
The superstructure was started on the 5 th January 2004 with the laying of the stone basement. Due to the time frame given to the Auroville Earth Institute, the raw construction of this project was completed in seven
weeks, on 23 rd February 2004 till the top of the minaret, with all pipes and cables for electricity, air-conditioning and sound system.
The Auroville Earth Institute could take up such a challenge because the Auroville team knew how to take the means required to handle such a project in a so short time and to supervise daily about 75 unskilled
masons and 150 labours.
In fact the local contractor had not been able to handle such a project within the time frame given to him by the city of Riyadh. Left on his own, the contractor took 4.5 months to produce the blocks and do the
foundations. Under the management of the Auroville Earth Institute team, the raw construction of the 420 m 2 mosque was completed in 7 weeks, from the stone basement to the top of the 18.05m high minaret. But
the finishes were done without the help from the Auroville Earth Institute and the local contractor took 7.5 months to complete them. The mosque was finally completed on the 12 th October 2004 and it was
inaugurated by the prince Salman.

Starting the basement with stones on the 25 th January 2004
Building a column
Building the side arches of the windows after 2 weeks
Stone basement completed on 10 th January
Building columns with about 75 masons and 150 workers
Building the main arches after 3 weeks
Starting block laying on the 11 th January
Columns completed after 9 days
Parapet wall completed and building the arches of the domes

Building he hemispherical dome with a compass
Building vault free spanning, with vertical courses of various
thicknesses
Building the semicircular vault free spanning
Building the first floor of the minaret with a batter (1° angle)
Building vaults and domes after 5 weeks
Building the second floor of the minaret after 6 weeks

Building the minaret after 6 weeks
Minaret completed, 18.05 m high, ~150 Tons
Completing the staircase of the minaret after 49 working days
Octagonal dome of the minaret built in a week – 3.01 m span
Al Medy Mosque completed in 7 weeks
Minaret completed and finishes for the staircase

Hemispherical dome on pendentives above the Mehrab
Central nave towards the Merhab
Naves towards the Merhab
Side nave near the Mehrab
Side nave along the entrance
Side nave

Naves near the Mehrab
Nave
People praying near the Merhab
Towards the Merhab
Side nave
People praying

Al Medy Mosque in the heart of Riyadh, in the Kig Abdulaziz memorial park
2010 Prince Sultan bin Salman’s Award for Urban Heritage