Al Hidayah Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre

Vancouver, Canada

This design for a mosque and cultural centre seeks to define an indigenous Islamic architecture for a place where virtually no precedents exist - the West Coast of Canada. The building is tied to the place through its response to its woodland environment and its use of local construction materials and methods: concrete masonry, clay brick cladding and timber. References to Islamic architectural traditions are found in the contemporary reinterpretation of formal ideas such as the celebration of entrance and the decorative use of geometry. A 'purely symbolic minaret' was incorporated 'with tepid support from the architect'.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture