DJAMAA EL DJAZAÏR

THE PROJECT AND ITS REQUIREMENT

In the bay of Algiers, on an area of 26 hectares, a mosque complex of special architectural and cultural dimensions has been built. At 265 metres high, the minaret is the tallest in the world and an iconic landmark. The glass encasing of the lantern is particularly striking.

The Maghrebian hall mosque with two courtyards and a minaret houses shops, a Koran school, a university, a cultural centre, a museum and much more. A three-level underground garage for 4,000 cars is located under the esplanade. To ensure that the structure remained damage-free, it was necessary to find an elastomeric structural bearing that could take up huge movements of up to +/- 75 cm.

THE SOLUTION

This impressive building imposes highly demanding requirements on its structural components. The Calenberg Ciparall sliding bearings installed need to accommodate long glide paths up to 75 cm long. The very low coefficients of friction ensure that the incorporated structural components slide virtually free of any friction. In turn, this reduces the shear stress on the sub-structure, allowing an inexpensive, filigree edifice to be built.