The Mashrabiya: A Bridge Between Cultures, Forms, and Projects

An intriguing symbol, a reference to the iconography of ancient and millennia-old cultures, an engineering masterpiece, and a cultural artifact that continues to inspire contemporary architectural and artistic ideals and projects.

The mashrabiya is all this and much more. Technique and thought unite fragments in the form of patterns, intertwining the richness of tradition with the challenges of modernity, creating functional and decorative elements that evoke a profound sense of belonging and identity.

Origin and Meaning

The word comes from the Arabic “mashrafa", meaning a place of refreshment or a storage place where water is kept cool by utilizing the breeze filtered through the latticework. Over time, the term has acquired a broader meaning, beyond the specific place and the structure itself — made of a wooden fretwork panel that decorated windows and balconies, protecting interiors from sunlight, and maintaining privacy without disrupting the visual connection with the exterior.

The earliest evidence of this technique dates back to the 12th century during the Abbasid dynasty in Baghdad, and its spread reached Egypt, Iraq, and the Maghreb, gradually losing popularity with the modernization of the Arab world in the 20th century.

The Mashrabiya Today: A Dialogue Between the Past and the Future

Today, the mashrabiya is experiencing renewed attention under a new guise and especially as a source of inspiration and visual reference, starting with materials and the virtuosity of its patterns – created through complex systems of design and writing. This process is amplified by the culture of sustainable and organic materials, such as textile fibers, which revive the ancient tradition used to control temperature and cooling, humidity and light, and the orderly yet permeable separation that historically allowed the Mashrabiya to serve as both a functional choice and a relational device linked to privacy in public and private spaces.

Its singular characteristic fluidity gives rise to a unique form of living architecture, capable of transforming voids into a dense, meaningful fluid emptiness, capable of redefining the way space is perceived and inhabited. The "fluid void" of the mashrabiya is never static or inert; it is an essential component of the design project, an active part of the construction that is constantly adapting, shaping and interacting with the surrounding environment. A permeable intermediate space that allows light, air, and sight to pass through forms in spaces made dynamic by relational interplay.

An Element of Connection and Protection

Ultimately, the mashrabiya is a point of connection between worlds – between the interior and the exterior, the private and the public. With its structure made of patterns and fretwork, it provides a form of porous protection that welcomes without excluding, a threshold, a passageway where space, light, and shadow meet, break apart, and are reassembled.

This is why its technical function is always an invitation to knowledge, contemplation, and dialogue with the outside world. This is also true for the extensive architectural culture of wooden or brick louvers, which in construction work ensured the preservation of hay in barns or the perfect maturation of food during aging, by controlling temperature, humidity, and ventilation. The same can also be seen in monasteries, where the enclosure is protected by grilles that reference and reinterpret the idea of separation in unity. In this way, the concrete functions of the rules entrust symbolic diaphragms with the power of reference, the sense of ritual, and iconography.

An Inspiration for the Present and Future

The concept of the fluid void as a connective tissue and matrix also serves as a metaphor for flexibility and adaptability to contemporary living changes, shifts in perspective, and visual and cognitive cohabitations shaped by light and virtuosity, igniting a relationship between nature, culture, and design.

Drawing on technical knowledge, culture, tradition, and lifestyle, the union of function and meaning makes the mashrabiya  a design philosophy that, through passive ventilation, ensures a constant flow of fresh air to the living space, thus providing thermal and environmental comfort.

The internal rules that characterize its construction – wider openings at the top and narrower ones at the bottom, the geometric or floral latticework patterns, the grille made from a variety of materials – come together to form an approach to climate management and well-being based exclusively on quality and environmental sustainability.

Although its origin is rooted in Islamic tradition, the mashrabiya is now a valuable design resource for contemporary architecture, influenced by the challenge of an increasingly urgent and aggressive climate change that compels – in terms of ethics and aesthetics, built and void spaces – to draw from ancient traditions for new visionary solutions.

The geometric patterns of the mashrabiya are often based on complex mathematical principles that represent infinity, reflecting the unity and cohesion of the universe. In Islamic tradition, these patterns carry deep spiritual and symbolic significance, referring to the connection between the Creator and the created. A method and means for reconciling opposites: light and shadow, interiors and exteriors, private and public.

Despite its origin in the Islamic world, the mashrabiya has influenced many cultures and languages and has in turn evolved, taking on additional new meanings around the world. In Spanish, the word "celosía" emphasizes the importance of separation as a value of privacy, alongside transparency and dialogue with the outside world. In Egypt and the modern Arab world, the mashrabiya is a recognized cultural heritage, a symbol of high-quality craftsmanship. In Italy, the concept of "gelosia" developed similarly in architecture and construction, with grilles and fretwork shutters having characterized residential facades for centuries, especially in Mediterranean areas, where these elements protect from the sun, regulate the passage of light and air, and create harmonious ventilation throughout the various spaces. In Ottoman Turkey and Arabian Peninsula cities, it took on a variety of forms and materials while staying true to its original functional and symbolic principles. In India, "jali" or "jaali" – another form of meshwork – refers to the technique of working with perforated stone, typically used as a screen and decoration, with ornamental motifs created using calligraphy, geometry, and natural patterns, essential for managing light and air. Here, too, the connection with ritual, contemplation, and prayer is evident. The first Indian Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu sanctuaries are in fact some of the most celebrated sites for these design practices, using complex configurations, patterns, and carving techniques to direct light onto sacred images in order to foster devotion and contemplation. The design of jalis has had mixed success, evolving over time to incorporate geometric and natural motifs, and absorbing influences from various cultural backgrounds.

The legacy of the mashrabiya connects the past, present, and future, serving not only as a design frontier but also as a highly modern multifaceted form of artistic and cultural aesthetic poetry. Contemporary architecture, shaped by technological and scientific research, views this technique as a promising and thought-provoking design frontier. On one hand, it recovers construction matrices with natural criteria and materials borrowed from the traditions of peoples and places, while on the other, the physics of virgin and regenerated materials and the frontier of parametric design found in the historical, ethical, and aesthetic experience of the mashrabiya’s origins provide a world-wide wealth of perspectives on sustainability. Managing climate, light, air quality, and relational ambient style through its lattices and patterns, the mashrabiya has become an integral part of this narrative.

In the age of globalization, the functional and aesthetic reasons behind the mashrabiya, combined with its proven environmental virtues demonstrated by its centuries-long use, take on a fundamental value. The continuity between past and future, fostered by research from universities, businesses, and professional networks, reinvigorates motivation and inspiration, uniting cultural heritage, sustainability, dialogue, and a sense of belonging to the collective imagination that permeates our communities, spaces, and public discourse.