The Rebirth of the Madrasa Through Deconstructive Architecture: The Case of the College of Islamic Studies in Qatar

Abstract

Architectural movements such as modernism, postmodernism, and deconstructivism emerged during the twentieth century. These movements drastically affected the discipline of architecture, with such divergences from traditional forms demonstrating how building design could be influenced by architectural history to guide its development. The College of Islamic Studies (CIS), also known as the Minartein, in Doha, Qatar, is an example of how architectural theory can affect building design and create structures that cater to different and novel ideas and philosophies. The unconventional, postmodern, parametric building creates a vital link that unites history, theory, and religion in a modernized form of the traditional Islamic madrasa. This article recounts how the architect, Ali Mangera, has realized the vision of originality, plurality, and contemporaneity through post-deconstructive architecture at the CIS. It also examines how architectural concepts such as abstraction, the juxtaposition of contradicting shapes and forms, surface manipulation and construction, massing techniques, non-rectilinearity, and fragmentation can all contribute to a better understanding of the symbolic significance of the building. The article demonstrates how the use of deconstructive methods for disassembling the architecture of famous madrasas may have influenced the architecture and design complexity of the building.