Dalia Sadeq

Crowd control

Makkah is shaped by the many empires/states that have stewarded it. The hajj ritual and pilgrim growth are constants, demanding continuous expansion of tawaf grounds. The centrifugal power of the Kaaba has always posed an existential threat to the buildings in its radius. The Saudi monarchy has shepherded this scaling and aims to hit a target of 30 million pilgrims annually, a Vision 2030 initiative.

Assuming population growth continues on Earth, expansion is inevitable. My thesis is a speculative visualisation of the inevitable expansion of the tawaf grounds in Makkah. This proposal is horizontal, radial, and stretches over the landscape of Makkah. Its parameters will be in constant negotiation and construction.

Process drawing and compositional map of arrows, lines, and shapes using charcoal.

Process drawing and compositional map of arrows, lines, and shapes using charcoal

Diagram of proposal

Rendering of tawaf tunnel. In the further rings, the tawaf experience becomes mediated by audio and visual simulations of proximity to the Kaaba.