the Fresh&Bold Architectural Award 2025 in the Shrap&Slow category goes to:

The Osjek Mosque, AHAKNAP (BA) 

The space of the mosque was conceived as a harmonious synthesis of two fundamental architectural elements: a protective fence wall and a concrete dome. The dome, interpreted as a crystallized canopy, not only defines the vertical axis of the composition but also emphasizes the contemplative and prayerful character of the whole. The fence wall is designed as a protective shell – a barrier that invites entry and at the same time creates a discreet distance from the outside world. This transitional space is shaped by filtration processes: through water, scents, greenery and spatial transitions, an atmosphere of internal preparation for meeting the mihrab is created.

Floral ornamentation, deeply rooted in the Islamic architectural tradition, has been reinterpreted through contemporary sculptural articulation. Conceptually, the project achieves a dialogue between tradition and modernity: natural elements combined with technologically sophisticated systems create an environment of a meditative character in which nature, light and prayer coexist.

Wood, as the main interior material, further deepens the feeling of warmth, organic intimacy and calmness. In the Bosnian architectural heritage, wood traditionally symbolizes the connection of man with nature and the cycles of time – a value that is actualized in this project in a contemporary key. In such an understanding, the dome is not only a physical protection or a symbolic vault, but a space shaped precisely by the fact that it was created slowly, by hand, through attention and patience. This approach to the material restores the dimension of tactility and intimacy to architecture – at a time when digital precision often erases the human trace from architectural expression.

The Osjek Mosque