Facade Lighting – Camlica Grand Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Details:
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Perched on Istanbul’s highest hill, the Camlica Grand Mosque is a stunning fusion of Turkey’s cultural heritage and state-of-the-art architecture. Accommodating up to 60,000 worshippers, the mosque complex extends far beyond its role as a place of prayer, featuring a library, a museum, and community areas, making it a symbol of spiritual and social connectedness.
A Vision of Light by Utku Baskir
Under the direction of Industrial Designer Utku Baskir, founder of Arkilight, a unique lighting concept was brought to life, creating a sacred ambiance within the mosque. Utilizing Inventronics’ LINEARlight Flex Protect and LINEARlight Flex Diffuse modules, alongside DMX controls and OTi DALI drivers and dimmers, the team achieved a harmonious interplay of color and light quality throughout the mosque’s interiors — in a truly unique way. Baskir’s vision relied on blending Inventronics’ Tunable White (TW) technology with meticulous lighting control to highlight the mosque’s vibrant blue and golden hues.
Creating a Sacred Atmosphere with Controllable Light
At the time of construction of the mosque (2013-2019), the technology of variably adjustable lighting was still in its infancy. Inventronics’ LED modules, renowned for their outstanding lighting quality, were combined with custom control technology to achieve precise color shades. This approach ensured that the light colors perfectly match the mosque’s architecture and interiors, showcasing its sublime magnificence in brilliant light. Warmer tones illuminate the ground level to create an inviting atmosphere for worshippers, while cooler shades ascend toward the dome, enhancing the blue tones and evoking a transcendent feeling when looking upward.
Lighting Precision with Inventronics Products
Inventronics’ products played a pivotal role, not only in functionality but also in embodying the mosque’s spiritual ambiance. The LINEARlight Flex and Flex Diffuse modules provide best-in-class, adjustable lighting, while DMX controls and OTi DALI drivers enable seamless control across all areas. This flexibility allows the lighting to be dynamically adapted, optimally supporting the mosque’s wide-ranging activities from daily prayers to congregation events.
Multidisciplinary design practices in major projects
Utku Baskir and Arkilight chose a multidisciplinary design approach for the Camlica Grand Mosque, not only by crafting a nuanced lighting concept but also by designing custom luminaires that honor the mosque’s heritage. A DMX-controlled chandelier was created for the prayer hall, blending tradition with adaptive lighting to enhance the sacred atmosphere. For the exterior, they designed marble luminaires, symbolizing history and longevity to reflect the mosque’s timeless significance and underscore its role as an enduring monument of Turkish cultural heritage.
The Camlica Grand Mosque stands as an impressive testament to how modern lighting technology can enhance traditional architecture, providing a serene yet awe-inspiring environment that reflects both cultural reverence and cutting-edge design.
| Project partners | |
|---|---|
| Utku Baskir from Arkilight | Lighting expert and product designer |
