09/12/2009

Grand Mosque: a big graphic and a press release

I received the other day waht can be described as an infographic press release. I don't mean a press release explained with a graphic, but a press release to 'promote a graphic'. It came from the Gulf News (Dubai) infographic department and it came with the actual graphic and an explanation on how was it done. Well, I don't like when newspapers just publish the press releases without analysing and 'cooking' them, but this time, I think the press release is, itself, the new, so here it comes:


"Our first concern when featuring the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque was how to accurately depict its scale, opulence and beauty.
There is enough information about the mosque to write a book, but not enough space in this newspaper to portray how wondrous the place is.
The UAE’s founding father and visionary, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, planned the mosque in the 1980s. He decided to construct a mosque that would become the spiritual centre of the country, bringing peace to worshippers of all races and social circumstances. This is exactly what the mosque is — a place that raises your spirits, regardless of what religion you follow. The mosque is open for all to visit and Eid Mubarak is the perfect time to tour the Shaikh Zayed Grand
The mosque, which is also the final resting place of Shaikh Zayed, has achieved acclaim inthe Islamic world and internationally.
It is the third largest mosque in the Arabian Gulf region, after those in Makkah and Madinah. Among its impressive structural and decorative features are some that have set world records: the largest carpet (5,700 square metres); the largest chandelier (15 metres high); and the largest main dome of its kind (32.8 metres in diameter).
Beyond Shaikh Zayed’s desire for a peaceful, spiritual place, the mosque was conceived as an architectural masterpiece and an Islamic treasure.
A total of 43 contractors worked on the mosque, including designers, engineers, architects, artisans and builders from far-flung corners of the globe. They assembled materials from dozens of countries, including Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and, of course, the UAE. The materials used include marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics of the highest quality.
The mosque was opened for daily prayers in 2007. The project team was led by Abu Dhabi Municipality and British consulting engineers Halcrow Group, along with Hill International. Today the UAE has more than 5,000mosques, with 2,289 of these located in Abu Dhabi.

Gulf News
Dubai-UAE
Interactive design: Jacob Hernandez
Infographics: Douglas Okasaki, Dwynn Ronald Trazo
Art Director: Miguel Angel Gomez
Editor in Chief: Abdul Hamid"


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