Building Description

A contemporary mosque that moves away from the traditional forms of Islamic architecture, the Australian Islamic Centre is a comprehensive complex with worship, educational and recreational facilities. The community-funded building was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Glenn Murcutt, in collaboration with Hakan Elevli of Elevli+Architects.

The building features 96 gold-painted lanterns installed on the roof that direct red, green and blue triangular light into the spaces below. Each colour represents different aspects of the Islamic faith.

The Australian Islamic Centre (AIC) adopts Murcutt’s ethos of design; contextualising a building to ensure it maximises its climatic conditions.

The AIC blends harmoniously with context. A Masjid does not require a specific aesthetic for it to serve its purpose as a place for prayer. It can adopt local forms in a non-Islamic context and in no regard will it minimise any reward of congregation.

The Australian Islamic Centre was one of two Australian buildings, both designed by Pritzker Prize laureates, named in Wallpaper magazine’s list of “top buildings that shaped culture in 2017”.

Images: 1) Anthony Browell; 2) courtesy AIC.