I am fascinated by the shading umbrellas covering the Haram Plaza. They are reminiscent of the extensive palm groves that used to define the character of Madinah. There are hundreds of these structures throughout the plaza; they open up for the day and close for the night. It's a clever solution against the harshness of the Madinah sun, and a fitting union of technology and tradition.
Bodo Rasch, the designer, likened these umbrella/columns to a new order befitting Islamic architecture — I think he may be right.
