Shaping an Architecture for the Muslim Community of Northern Ontario

The role of a mosque in a minority community, such as Northern Ontario, shifts from its common role as solely a sacred place. There is a consistent conflict that arises in western mosque architecture: western mosques have become isolated entities, located on the edges of cities and disconnected from the communities that need them.01 In a minority community the mosque must transcend the singular program of prayer/religious practice and begin to serve the secular along with the religious communities. This integration of community allows the mosque to become a more integral part of the society as a whole. Beyond the traditional roles they play in Muslim majority communities, mosques become places for both secular and non-secular programs through secular spaces, such as, educational, cultural, art, and social places.