Newport Mosque

I attended a session at the Louis Joel centre showing a film about Glenn Murcutt (Australia's most eminent architect) and decided to go and see it and arrived just as a tour was starting.

A few years ago I saw the Architecture of Faith exhibition at NGv about the design for the new Mosque. Murcutt and Melbourne practice Elevli Plus worked with the Newport Islamic Council for nearly a decade on the creation of a contemporary Australian mosque and Islamic centre. Importantly, this significant building has been funded and built by members of the local community.

What started out as a straightforward search for new facilities became a project embraced by Australia's most internationally celebrated architect. Murcutt is the country's only recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize – architecture's equivalent of the Nobel – a distinction that puts him on a par with global giants such as Norman Foster, Frank Gehry and the late Zaha Hadid.

His designs all aim to reflect and include nature and are open to the surrounding landscape.

It was this house design that won the Pritzker Prize.

So he certainly was not interested in a project for a traditional Mosque with Minarets and domes.
He didn't even want a tower and minaret but rather his interpretation of a minaret,  the peak with crescent, will symbolise his vision of a contemporary Australian place of prayer. It isn't a traditional round tower .
The film I saw is not just about his work and designs but the amazing faith of the Newport Muslim community who funded and supported the Mosques building even when many of the older community must have been very sceptical . He worked with  a local architect and many of the construction teamwork form the community, as well as much local tradesmen contributing. The tiled forecourt was laid by all the tilers in the community! 
Newport  (Mason Street near Williamtown Rd) Lebanese immigrants surged into the area during the 15-year civil war that started in 1975, mainly from the small country's northern villages of Mish Mish and Fnaidek. There are now more Indian, Vietnamese and Greek-born people in Hobsons Bay than Lebanese-born, but according to the 2011 census, Arabic is still the main non-English language spoken here.
Up till the new Mosque opened they were using an old Red cross building and they had grown out of it.

 According to our guide, men are expected to attend the Mosque, women only if they wish or can. Hence the need for bigger men's space. 

The upstairs womens space with shutters and the glass panels 

 The women in Newport ended up in a separate house next door or in a big carport area!

The angles of the concrete slabs means that there is always nature to see.

From the entrance drive off Blenheim St 
Still needs the garden landscaping

The minaret on a 16ft wall 

Glass front walls of the Womens area stairs 

Lofty ceilings with some of the Lanterns 

Our guide

The water feature will eventually be full and reflect indoors  

The size of the space 

The carving is lighted by whichever angle Lantern is directed on it at the time of day 

The Lanterns are like light wells all white except for the glass of different colours 

The lanterns from the back car park 

It is surrounded by trees
One is the golf course an date other the Miniature Railway, that came chugging by as we left