Building Details
Construction of the three-storey East London Mosque began in 1982 on land left empty after bombing during World War II, and was completed in 1985. The architect was John Gill Associates. The exterior is a distinctive brick pattern in two colours, with the front facing Whitechapel Road and the rear on Fieldgate Street. The mosque is capped with a gold colour dome of about 8.5m diameter. The minaret rises to about 22m above ground level, and the main entrance is finished with two smaller copies of the minaret. The mosque has two large halls, a gallery, classrooms, offices and a retail unit.
Construction for phase 1 of the mosque's expansion, called the London Muslim Centre, began in 2002 and was completed in 2004. Adjoining and connected to the mosque, it is a six-storey building with a prominent entrance featuring a sweeping mosaic pattern. The centre has two multipurpose halls, a seminar suite, a nursery, classrooms, a fitness centre, a small Islamic library, a radio station, retail units and offices. The centre was designed by Studio Klaschka Architecture and Design.
A further significant expansion commenced in 2009: Phase 2, to be known as the Maryam Centre, is a nine-storey addition on the Fieldgate Street side, on a site originally used by the mosque's funeral services. When construction is completed in 2012, the Centre will add a new main prayer hall and improved funeral services. It will also add substantial facilities for women, including a prayer space, full- and part-time education facilities, and a health and fitness centre. The building includes a mezzanine level around the main hall which will accommodate a visitor centre. The design was once again by Studio Klaschka Architecture and Design.
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