Dhaka is known for big civic architecture, including Louis Kahn’s National Parliament complex. But one of the city’s most talked-about modern buildings is much smaller, and it sits in an area with few public spaces and a constant threat of flooding. The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Faidabad, designed by Marina Tabassum, is a modest neighborhood project that uses brickwork and geometry to do the heavy lifting.
Tabassum filled the near-square site with a raised brick plinth. The plinth steps up along a diagonal edge, creating broad steps and lifting the worship space above flood risk. For mason contractors, it’s a reminder that masonry detailing starts at grade, and that elevation, drainage thinking, and durable materials can shape how a community actually uses a site day to day.
The mosque itself is a simple square, about 23 metres across and roughly 7.5 metres tall, built in load-bearing terracotta brick. Instead of domes, minarets, or applied ornament, the exterior relies on a colonnade and large areas of perforated brick to filter light and air. That kind of work puts craftsmanship front and center. Clean line control, consistent mortar joints, and careful layout are what make a “plain” wall read as precise, not unfinished.
Inside the outer brick shell, a second circular brick wall forms a buffer zone that holds support spaces like washing areas, toilets, a stair, and an office. A separate concrete structure of eight columns supports a flat roof, rotated 13 degrees to align with the qibla. Open segments between the circle and square bring daylight down into the prayer hall, helped by corner light wells and about 300 small roof openings that soften the light while the porous brickwork lets the building breathe.
The project won the Aga Khan Award in 2016. It’s also a clear example of how brick and thoughtful wall design can deliver comfort, resilience, and a strong architectural identity with straightforward materials and local craftsmanship.
Read the full, original article from Architecture Today here.