In November 2005, plans were announced for the construction of a grandiose complex of the "London Marquise" (center) - a mosque for 40,000 believers (the whole complex can accommodate 70,000 people), connected to a madrasah, administrative premises, a youth center, and residential buildings. But only now the project of the ensemble, developed by the architect Ali Mangera from the London office of Mangera Ivars Akitects, was announced. The building, designed in an almost futuristic way, will be located near the site of the 2012 Olympic Games - in the West Ham area, on the site of a smaller mosque that now exists.
The main idea of the project is the creation of the so-called. "Islamic garden". This involves the combination and alternation of functional buildings and landscaping areas, creating a close connection between the inner space of the complex and the surrounding park, between areas for prayer, ritual ablutions, meditation and community gathering. In the center of the ensemble, between the madrasah and the mosque, an olive grove will be planted as a symbol of peace. In general, the project departs from the traditional concept of the architectural typology of the mosque - for example, it does not provide for minarets. At the same time, you can find echoes of the temporary dwellings of Arab nomads in it, and the art of calligraphy, fundamental for Islam, is reflected both in the decor and in the solution of the plan: from a bird's eye view, the complex resembles a quote from the Koran.
The customer for this cult building, worth 150 million euros, was the charity religious organization Tablikhi Jamaat with a rather dubious reputation (it is credited with having links with associations of Islamic extremists in Pakistan).
