Cyclone Shelter

For this cyclone shelter, Islamic architectural elements were pursued through geometric progression — the eight-pointed star commonly found in window grilles and floor mosaics. Two squares rotated at forty-five degrees form the star, which is used as a motif throughout. Its modular nature gives the design flexibility: the form can be added to or subtracted from as required, and the progression carries through both plan and elevation to produce a modernised, abstract take on Islamic architecture. The vertical elements resolve gracefully in triangular columns that split at the middle, resembling hands raised in prayer to God — and, read another way, the crown of a dome atop a mosque. The design incorporates Islamic architectural elements while holding a contemporary aesthetic, offering safe refuge with dignity.