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The project is for an International Islamic Centre with a Mosque, School, Exhibition spaces and an Islamic Garden with a built area of 180,000m2. The site is 1km in length and sits on the banks of the Channelsea River and in proximity of the London 2012 Olympic sites.
The form of the Mosque is determined by the axis of prayer towards Mecca and the contours of our new Islamic Garden. The Islamic Garden is a serene space for contemplation transposed onto multi-ethnic modern-day London. The project can be seen Islamic Calligraphy on an urban scale. The project adopts the idea of ‘Dawat’ or Invitation to Islam. Dawat space is an interstitial public space between the sanctum of the Mosque and the World outside. It is a place for Muslims and Non Muslims can meet and promote a greater understanding between ideology, faith and humanity. The scheme considers fluctuations in visitors and usage. Spaces can be extended in peak periods by inflatable structures which temporarily cover courtyards. The building, adopts the language of nomadic structures or tented cities.
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