As our world has become more connected and Muslims have begun establishing communities in lands never conquered by the Islamic Empires of the past, the question of what direction Islamic Architecture will take in this new millennium has become an important one. The question cannot be answered without first studying the trends of mosque design for the last fifty years of the previous millennium. An important place to begin this study is a region the furthest from the origins of Islam-- North America.
THREE MOSQUES
Both Canada and the US have found growing numbers of Muslims and Muslim communities;with that growth, the mosques to support them. North American Muslims view their identities and place in this region in various ways and mosques are often an intentionally symbolic representation of those feelings. Three mosques which show the trends of mosque design as well as the identities of their clients are the TARIC Islamic Center of Toronto, Canada, the Kingston Islamic Center of Ontario, Canada and the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.
THE TARIC ISLAMIC CENTER OF TORONTO
The TARIC Islamic Center was built in 1991 and designed by Iranian Canadian architect Loghman Azar for the Muslim community of Toronto. The patrons were the Toronto and Region Islamic Congregation (TARIC) and The World Islamic Call Society who represent the local Muslim community of about 300,000 (see TARIC Homepage). Built in two phases, the complex includes a community hall/gymnasium with a stage, a sunken courtyard, a prayer court, and a prayer hall. Constructed of simple brick cladding, the mosque is somewhat conservative and unobtrusive in relation to its surroundings. According to Renata Holod in The Contemporary Mosque "the Taric Islamic Centre proclaims the presence of the Muslim community without resorting to the use of an alien form" (p.217). Rather than using obvious Islamic forms like minarets and large domes, the architect gives the building its Islamic qualities through the use of exterior wall penetrations arranged in an Islamic motif as well as a semidome at one end of the structure. There is also a pointed arch on one exterior wall which is decorated with colored tiles in such a way to remind one of a muqarnas styled arch. Because this building uses subtle Islamic forms to convey its use and it chooses modern and regional materials and construction it can be deemed a modern mosque.
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