The British Mosque: An Architectural and Social History

Join us for a presentation of Shahed Saleem latest book, the first overview of Muslim architecture in Britain from the earliest examples in the late 19th century, to mosques being built today.

The analysis focuses on the way in which the mosque as a new cultural and architectural form has become embedded into the existing urban fabric of Britain's towns and cities, and how this new building type has then impacted its urban landscape, socially, culturally and architecturally. As an architect, researcher and lecturer living and working in East London, Saleem focuses on community architecture and places of worship. Not content with lumping in a couple of minarets and being done with it, Saleem believes we can use mosque architecture to merge elements of British and Muslim identity, so he’s been speaking to and making harmonious designs that connect with both Muslim communities and their surroundings. He says: “We do have to generate our own architectural language which reflects our European Muslim identity.”

We are thankful to the Barakat Trust and The Pakistan Society for their support. This even is part of the core porgramme of the London Festival of Architecture.