Historically, mosques have been at the forefront of architectural and construction innovation, serving as hubs of cutting-edge design craftsmanship. “Mosque Architecture Now” seeks to foster a deeper understanding of how contemporary mosque design can serve as a model for innovation, promoting sustainable and socially beneficial architectural practices.

Through a public keynote lecture and symposium, plus a student workshop, Mosque Architecture Now aims to highlight a resurgence in this tradition within contemporary mosque architecture, focusing on how recent designs are embracing sustainability and providing social and environmental benefits. This paradigm shift signifies a move away from the prevalent historicist and pastiche approaches towards a more innovative ethos in mosque design.

Internationally acclaimed architects will present exemplary contemporary case studies, demonstrating innovations in construction systems, passive strategies, landscape integration, energy use and programming. These advancements not only enhance the function and aesthetic of mosques but also offer insights and practices that could be beneficial across various faith-based spaces and the architectural discipline as a whole. In North America, where many mosques are situated in repurposed buildings due to high real estate costs and limited funds—since mosques are funded primarily by benefactors—discussions on best practices in adaptive reuse and exemplary climate resilient case studies are particularly pertinent and timely.

Supported by the Abdullatif AlFozan Awards for Mosque Architecture, the event is led by the Daniels Faculty’s Associate Professor Aziza Chaouni and Assistant Professor Ruba Kana’an, a historian of Islamic art and architecture at the University of Toronto Mississauga. The keynote lecture by Aga Khan Award for Architecture winner Emre Erolat, will set the stage for the symposium, where various topics surrounding contemporary mosque architecture will be discussed.