Aerial view of Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, expansion by Christoph Ingenhoven, world's largest mosque

A stunning aerial view of the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, where Christoph Ingenhoven contributed to the expansion, highlighting the vast scale and spiritual significance of the world's largest mosque.

Aerial view of Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, expansion by Christoph Ingenhoven, world's largest mosque

A stunning aerial view of the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, where Christoph Ingenhoven contributed to the expansion, highlighting the vast scale and spiritual significance of the world's largest mosque.

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PROJECTS / AL HARAM MOSQUE

Al Haram Mosque Mecca

The number of pilgrims during the annual Muslim Hajj to Medina (Madinah) and Mecca (Makkah), the holiest sites in Islam, is rapidly increasing. This surge demands significant urbanistic and architectural changes. The "King Abdallah Grand Expansion Project" of the Al Haram Mosque in Mecca, the largest mosque in the world, aims to expand its capacity to accommodate 1,500,000 pilgrims. Currently, maintenance and rescue services are poorly organized, limiting the number of people able to perform Tawaf (circling) and Sa’ee (ritual walk). Additionally, luggage and sanitary services are insufficient or hard to acces

Main courtyard of Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, traditional Islamic architecture with modern enhancements by Christoph Ingenhoven.

The planned extension, the first of several future additions, envisions expanding the pilgrims' facilities into the nearby valley and hills north of the Al Haram Mosque. This expansion provides a unique opportunity for the sustainable development of this iconic and immense building. Ingenhoven architects made a groundbreaking proposal for this expansion as part of an international design competition in 2008.

Al-Haram Mosque expansion in Mecca, modern infrastructure integrated by Christoph Ingenhoven

Their proposal features a cluster of canopies providing shade for people, plazas, and buildings, while reducing the heat island effect. Retractable canopies allow for natural cooling and prayer under the stars, protecting pilgrims from the hot sun during the day. The existing building will be retained, with a new outer edge defined by a 660-meter radius circle around the Ka’aba. This design ensures the existing mosque remains operational during construction, keeping all entrances accessible and avoiding additional pressure on the current structure. Some canopies could incorporate thin-film PV panels to generate electricity. These canopies, as small, singular elements, also obscure the view of distant high-rise buildings, facilitating spiritual contemplation without visual disturbances.

Pilgrims at Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, enhanced by Christoph Ingenhoven's architectural contributions

The traffic and crowd management concept is based on outer courts at the main access points, a large passage in the north, and the architectural clarity of the buildings. Escape stairs are designed to avoid any vertical offsets of the single levels. Given that the Al Haram Mosque is the largest in the world, the architects crafted a design that respects the climate, culture of Saudi Arabia, and the site's significance.