NEWPORT
Inherent Beauty: Collaboration with award-winning, world-renowned architect Glenn Murcutt on the Australian Islamic Centre
- Integral to the design of the building are the ‘Lanterns’ on the roof of the building; our team manufactured and installed all of the aluminium frames used for these elements
- Our team also manufactured and installed the commercial window framing systems used on the front of the building, near the library
- Long, vertical insulated glass units are used to direct light at the front of the building, whilst also providing an acoustics barrier and privacy for prayer groups within
The aluminium framed windows and glass used in this project form an integral part of the Mosque’s architecture. Comprising 50% concrete and 50% glass, we collaborated with our friends at MS Glass on this project. All windows and glass are controlled to the east, encompassing the women’s prayer and congregation areas upstairs, as well as the entry foyer downstairs.
Another stunning wall of windows overlooks the water feature, creating endless reflected patterns on the internal walls of the mosque. In Glenn’s words; “Of course nature is very important to the Islamic community, it’s about the oasis, and survival. This building has many elements in it that read of the Islamic community, in terms of translucency and transparency, so the glass is truly a vital component of the design.”
Crucial to the design of building are its custom ‘lanterns’ – protruding spaces dotting the roof of the building, each featuring windows tinted in primary colours, and facing a particular direction to maximise the natural light at any given time of day.
The AIC adopts Murcutt’s underlying ethos of design; contextualising a building to ensure it optimises its climatic conditions, whilst seamlessly enhancing its surrounds.
