The Internal Security Force (ISF) in Qatar launched a project to build a sustainable and self sufficient complex in the capital city. Spread over 400 hectares of land, the complex houses over 330 residential buildings, a sports stadium, a five star hotel, government offices and more. Once completed, the complex will house over 17,000 residents.
The dome of the mosque is one of its most striking features. While the rest of the complex is scheduled to be completed by 2025, the mosque stands tall and proud today as a tranquil and calming place for people to offer prayers.
The ISF project hopes to achieve the Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS) Neighborhood Certification. So, every contractor that worked on the project had to ensure that they followed sustainable practices. The mosque within the camp required a decorative dome that beautified the space. We were commissioned to process, package and deliver the glass to the site so that it could be installed without any issues.
Partnering with ISF and MetalTek for this project was exciting and daunting. We had to ensure that our glass met the most exacting international standards. The dome was not a simple concave shape. The panels were put together in geometric patterns to enhance the aesthetics of the mosque. Given the harsh desert climate, we had to ensure that the glass we used would reduce solar heat gain. Finally, as the dome was decorative, it needed to be coloured or stained glass. The project was on a very tight deadline of just 120 days.
The key challenges were to:
For this project, we decided to use 41.52 mm laminated tempered stained glass. This allowed us to meet the light transmission and solar heat gain requirements without compromising on aesthetics. We processed 490 octagonal stained glass IGU panels for this project. By using a mix of energy saving and stained glass, we created panels that perfectly met all the client’s aesthetic and performance requirements.
Our abilities and years of experience with specialty glass enabled us to complete this project within the specified time frame. The double glazed panels we processed had both stained glass and double low E glass components. We had 10 of our most skilled artists handcraft each panel. Our laminated glass panels ensure that the interiors of the mosque remain cool, while allowing more than sufficient light to pass through. With the help of our state of the art machinery and processes, we were able to deliver all 490 panels within the 120 day timeline.