Striking innovation in architecture combined with Boral's ENVISIA® concrete has brought the Punchbowl Mosque to the forefront of being a unique place of worship.
Boral's lower carbon concrete, ENVISIA® was used for this project including 102 ornamental vaulted dome shapes inside the Punchbowl Mosque in south-west Sydney.
Architect Angelo Candalepas selected ENVISIA® because of its light appearance and good off-form finish while the engineers were able to take advantage of its low shrinkage characteristics. The finish of ENVISIA® also provided a stunning canvas for master calligraphers to hand-paint the 99 names of Allah in Arabic in gold on the domes. In addition to the minaret featuring a skylight at its peaked centre, each concrete dome contains tiny holes to elegantly allow shards of light to penetrate into the mosque during the day.
The Punchbowl Mosque is part of a precinct that includes also a community building, two-level basement car park and courtyards. Construction started in 2015.
The striking building has garnered much admiration in the construction space with recognition including:
- Candalepas Associates: Sulman Medal for Public Architecture, Australian Institute of Architects NSW, July, 2018.
- Candalepas Associates: National Award for Public Architecture, Australian Institute of Architects, November, 2018.
- Wood & Grieve Engineers' NSW structural team: finalists, Association of Consulting Structural Engineers NSW, 2017.
