From Heritage to Design: Pattern Extraction and Landscape Interpretation of the Alaca (Painted) Mosque, Tetovo, North Macedonia from-heritage-to-design-pattern-extraction-and-landscape-interpretation-of-the-alaca-painted-mosque-tetovo-north-macedonia Volume 6, Issue 1 ARTICLES 2026 6 This study is focused on cultural heritage and how it can influence the contemporary spatial design through a design oriented educational workshop focused on the Alaca Mosque in Tetovo, North Macedonia. The research aims to analyze the historical development, visual identity, and ornamental language of the mosque and to translate these findings into landscape design proposal for its surrounding urban context. The methodology consists of historical review of the mosque, analytical documentation of architectural details and ornamentation, extraction of geometric and floral patterns, and their reinterpretation into contemporary design elements. The analytical focus includes detailed research of the decorative elements of the mosque, based on the site observation and the literature review – its geometry, rhythm, color palette, texture, and proportional relationships—which served as the conceptual base for the further design translation process. The outcome of the whole process is a landscape concept along nearby river and public park, inspired from patterns found in the mosque, that reflects the symbolic meaning. At the same time, the landscape proposal addresses current spatial needs. By demonstrating how architectural identity from historical structures can be systematically decoded and reinterpreted into modern urban landscape interventions, this research contributes to the field of heritage-based design. Using a simple workshop-based methodology, the study also emphasizes the educational value of engaging students in analyses of cultural heritage as a tool for developing culturally responsive design thinking.

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]]> Heritage, patterns, landscape interpretation, Alaca Mosque https://ijtns.ibupress.com/articles/from-heritage-to-design-pattern-extraction-and-landscape-interpretation-of-the-alaca-painted-mosque-tetovo-north-macedonia