australian islamic centre by glenn murcutt nears completion in melbourne

the australian islamic centre is a building currently under construction in melbourne, designed by australia’s most internationally celebrated architect, glenn murcutt. the scheme, which has been in development since 2006, is now nearing completion ahead of its expected opening in late 2016. rather than incorporating a minaret or dome, the mosque seeks to challenge assumptions of historical islamic architecture with a roof that comprises a series of multi-colored glass lanterns.

designed in collaboration with hakan elevli of elevli plus and the newport islamic society (NIS), the project involved significant consultation with local islamic architects, imams, and community leaders — the australian islamic centre has been both funded and built by the local community. once complete, the building will contain a mosque with sufficient indoor prayer space, as well as an education centre with a library that offers resources on islamic and arabic cultures, and provides arabic language education to muslims and non muslims alike. a 10,000 square meter public park surrounding the complex is being developed by hobsons bay city council.