Faculty of Design
Environmental Design
Tooba Tariq
Masjid Al-Nur Center
Environmental Design
2022
The thesis aims to provide a space where spiritual learning can bring people together while combating discrimination. The project aims to establish spirituality, identity and unity to bring communities together. In Scarborough, Ontario, the project is at Birchmount and Bertrand Avenue. The area now has a warehouse turned into a masjid, which hides the Masjid's identity and is unsuitable for religious activity. The project will construct a masjid with a cultural centre to allow the community to participate in religious and non-religious activities. The concept is based on geometric patterns associated with Islamic culture, and these patterns have been seen throughout the Islamic world for over a thousand years of Islamic history. These geometric patterns relate to spirituality, identity, and unity. My project not only protects the identity of Islam but also brings recognition and understanding to it through Islamic architecture. Islam is an oppressed religion here, and a coping mechanism is to discard our values to become more socially acceptable. I looked at the contemporary designs of masjids in the east since those philosophies are not rooted in western ideologies. A good design is when we combine traditional and modern architecture, suggesting that innovation is only good if it has western influence. I looked into contemporary design because that's not dictated or imposed by the West. It helps Muslims be true to their identities, to establish a space that allows us to be ourselves in a country that historically and constantly shames us for practicing our religion.
Work by
Tooba Tariq
Environment Design
“My Masjid is designed to be a safe space for Islamic acceptance and celebration while embracing non-Muslims. Serving the community, the Masjid provides an opportunity for destigmatization and...” [More]
Celebrate the work of OCAD U’s class of 2021/2022!