Fatima Ladak // Schedule of Uses

Having fulling analysed the annual calendar received from the Central Mosque, the diagram below illustrates that usage of the mosque throughout a full week based on a 24 hour clock. The prayer times used, indicate the entire period of each set of prayer across the year, however the events are based on general weekly events. It is clear that the mosque utilises its facilities throughout most of the day except during a 4 hour period between 6am and 10am. However, this time period does get taken up at certain days during the year such as Eid days.

Therefore, one can assume that the areas where each of these events take place are the most vital within the mosque. They will be the most utilised spaces on an average week.

Prayers: Male prayer hall/Female prayer galleries

Qur’an Tafseer Classes: Prayer hall/galleries

Family Counselling: Marriage Bureau/Family Support Office

Urdu Lessons of Qur’an: Prayer Hall

Marriage Bureau: Marriage Bureau

Office

Supplementary School: Classrooms in Day Centre

Funeral Services: Mortuary

Shariah Advice: Marriage Bureau/Family Support Office

New Muslim Classes: Prayer hall/galleries

The idea that these spaces are perhaps the spaces of most concern correlates with the information obtained from the interviews on the 14th of November. The main issue relating to the use of space is the fact that the office on the ground floor houses 3 separate uses: Marriage Bureau, Family Counselling and Shariah Advice. Although these are generally held at different times of the day/week, storage space does clash. Saba Butt (family support officer) stated that ‘ I think we would want a bigger space, for the office.The office is shared by the family support office and the marriage bureau… So we do need a bigger office. Space is always an issue.The layout isn’t great either. Sometimes you get families coming in so there’s not enough room to hold everyone…it is crowded…the waiting room is also right next to the actual counselling session room, and there’s door with a window, so people can see through…so there’s not as much privacy as we would like.’

Having seen the office, I understand her point, privacy and space is a major issue, I think these factors need to be considered when analysing the previous proposals of the the mosque and when producing new sketch schemes and.