Glasgow Central Mosque, Boundary Walls and Railings, , Glasgow

Description

Large purpose-built Mosque designed in 1977 and opened in 1984. It was designed by W.M. Copeland & Associates and built in two stages with the first stage, the construction of the building's shell, managed by W.M. Copeland & Associates and the second stage (from around 1981-1984) carried out by architects Coleman Ballantine Partnership.

The building is designed in a Postmodern style which reinterprets traditional Islamic architectural features and motifs. The mosque is built of two main rectangular volumes linked by a gallery and set around a central courtyard. It features a prominent glass dome above the large prayer hall and a tall concrete minaret which, pierces through the linking gallery. It is built of red brick and concrete and is prominently located on the southern bank of the Clyde in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

The largest volume of the mosque is the two storey and basement building containing the masjid (prayer hall) and wazu (washrooms) located at the east of the site. The principal (northwest) façade features a central, full height iwan (vaulted space that opens on one side to a courtyard) with a projecting archway accessed directly from the courtyard. The archway features a four-pointed arch made of pigmented red concrete within which are set muqarnas (concave vaults or coffers) made of bronze coloured glass reinforced plastic. Below the murqarnas is a two-storey glazed entrance separated by a band of terracotta tiles at the first storey. On either side of the entrance are three full-height, projecting cantilevered buttresses which taper upwards. Each is faced with concrete and glazed on either side. The northeast elevation of the masjid features three buttresses grouped at the eastern side.

The rear (southeast) elevation of the masjid features a single, central projecting buttress flanked by four full height windows on either side. The side (southwestern) elevation has three projecting buttresses at the east side and a brick mortuary attached to the west side. On top of the prayer hall is a large, multifaceted dome of gold and coloured glass topped with a crescent moon finial.

A single storey corridor wing links the masjid to the community hall. The northwest elevation of the corridor, facing the courtyard, features a glazed colonnade of four-point arches and is built of concrete with metal brattishing in an oval motif spanning the length of the top of the gallery. It houses the offices, a library and committee room. The base of a tall concrete minaret is set in the middle of the corridor and pierces through the roof with a crescent moon finial.

At the west of the linking gallery is a two-storey community hall building containing a large hall with a kitchen and other facilities. Dating to 2003, it is built of brick with double height, four point-arched openings on the southeast elevation.

The interior decorative scheme is largely unaltered since date of construction. The interior of the masjid features a large open prayer room, with a central mihrab (niche in the wall which indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims face when praying) of green and gold geometric decoration on the southeast wall. In between the windows, plaster decorations in green and gold form bays along the walls and the hall floor is covered with a green carpet lined in gold rows to indicate spacing for each worshiper. The concave dome in the ceiling of the prayer room is tinted green with a large star and Kufic calligraphy in its central circle. The female prayer area is a balcony that looks onto the main prayer hall. The floor is lined with a red carpet with a detailed golden arch indicating a worshiper's space. Throughout the masjid there are decorative finishes including a geometrical patterned celling in the entrance hall of the masjid, as well as carved wooden doors and screens.

The courtyard is paved and features a geometric star pattern in the centre. At the northwest of the courtyard there is a small Arabesque style garden lined by trees.

A brick boundary wall surrounds the site with iron railings featuring geometric patterns in gold. The gates at the main entrance on Gorbals Street at the northwest and at the south feature a central geometric shape which echoes that of the mosque's glass dome.

Historical development

The Glasgow Central Mosque (GCM) was built for the Jamiat Ittehad ul Muslimin (the Muslim Mission), an organisation that was established in Scotland in 1933 by the efforts of early migrants from India, many of which had settled in the Gorbals area of Glasgow (Hopkins, p.188). The Jamiat Ittehad ul Muslimin acquired property at 27/29 Oxford Street in the Gorbals and inaugurated the first mosque in Scotland in this converted tenement in 1944. This building comprised a large public hall, six flats and two shop units and is first labelled as 'Muslim mosque' on the Ordnance Survey map of 1968.

With the demolition and regeneration of many of the buildings and tenements in the Gorbals from the 1960s, the Glasgow Corporation purchased the property at 27/29 Oxford Street under a Compulsory Order and alternative space for the mosque was required. Glasgow entrepreneur, and later president of the Jamiat Ittehad ul Muslimin, Mohammad Tufail Shaeen donated his property at nearby Carlton Place which was used as a replacement mosque until the building of the Glasgow Central Mosque.

The idea to build a purpose-built mosque for the community had begun as early as the 1950s and plans for the mosque were finally approved in 1977. The location for the new building was a large area on the southern bank of the Clyde on the site of the cleared former Adelphi Distillery. It was reported that the major of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had visited the Jamiat Ittehad ul Muslimin around 1976 who noted that the plans for the mosque at that time were too modest and that, given the impressive strength of feeling by the community, they should proceed with an ambitious mosque and social centre (The Scotsman, 25 August 1979).

Work began on the building in August 1979, and it was completed in two phases, with the commission for architects W.M. Copeland and Associates, terminated following the completion of phase one of the project. The construction of the structural shell was completed around 1981. Coleman Ballantine Partnership were employed to complete the project and noted that they completed 'all interiors, all services, main entrance and all external works'(Prospect Journal, Vol 22, (Winter 1984), p .17).

The GCM was opened on 18 May 1984, with capacity for up to 1500 worshipers. The opening of the mosque was attended by the Imam of the Holy Kaa'ba in Mecca and Dr Abdullah Oman Naseef, secretary general of the World Muslim League as well as representatives of Scotland's Christian, Hindu,Jewish and Sikh communities (The Scotsman, 19 May 1984).

The building project cost around £2.5 million and was financed by the Jamair Itthad-ul-Muslim, Glasgow's Muslim community and as well as through donations from the Prince of Mecca and the Major of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia (The Scotsman, 19 May 1984).

The building remains in use today as a mosque (2024). The roofing material of the mosque was replaced after 2003 and a small, rectangular plan, single storey glazed addition was added to the rear (southeast) elevation of masjid around 2018. Solar panels were added to the rear of the prayer hall roof around 2021.

Statement of Interest

It is an outstanding example of a purpose-built mosque design in Scotland and is a significant example of the use of the Postmodern style of architecture.
It is the first mosque building designed according to Islamic architectural traditions in the country and features many additional ancillaries that contribute the special architectural interest, including the courtyard and Arabesque garden.
It is substantially unaltered from the date of construction.
It is a landmark building in a prominent setting on the southern bank of the Clyde, a location significant historically for its proximity to the site of the first mosque in Scotland.
Planned from the 1950s, the building is a rare and very early example of a purpose-built mosque and included Scotland's first purpose-built Islamic centre. The building remains Scotland's largest mosque and is among only a small number ever built.
It is of outstanding social historical interest for what it can tell us about the development of the Muslim community in Scotland in the second half of the 20^th century.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the early 21^st century hall addition to the southwest.

Architectural interest

Design

The Glasgow Centra Mosque (GCM) is significant as the first mosque building in Scotland to be built according to Islamic architectural traditions and includes a number of features found in Islamic architecture throughout the world. This includes the use of a courtyard plan form with central gathering space and garden, the prominent entrance iwan featuring the distinctive murqarnas, the dome, minaret and the repeated use of the four-pointed arch shape for the openings. The incorporation of a small Arabesque style garden at the north of the courtyard follows traditional Islamic architecture found in the Middle East, South Asia, Southern Spain, North Africa and elsewhere and is a rare feature in urban mosques of the 20^th century, with no other examples known in Scotland.

The architects who designed the mosque, Stockport based, W.M. Copeland & Associates, are reported to have travelled to Turkey and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as part of the design process (A Celebration of 50 years of Muslim life in the City of Glasgow, p .10). William Copeland of the firm had also designed the dome and minaret for the second purpose-built mosque in the United Kingdom, the Birmingham Central Mosque built from 1968 and completed 1982 (Birmingham, A. Foster, 2005, p.195).

The GCM is also a notable example of an overtly Postmodern architectural design for a major building commission in Scotland. It interprets traditional Islamic architecture in a contemporary way (The British Mosque, p 260). At the GCM, the distinctive design uses traditional Islamic architectural forms and features interpreted in a Postmodern style. The references made to traditional Islamic architectural motifs was common to other large mosques built in the UK during this period (such as the Regent's Park Mosque and Ismaili Centre, both in London).

Postmodernism emerged around the mid-1970s out of a reaction against the rigid functionalism of 1950s and 60s Modernism. It is often defined by an eclectic revival and playful reinterpretation of historical building styles, and an increasing concern for craftsmanship and materiality. It placed a renewed emphasis on the visual aesthetics and decoration, but rather than adhering to a defined style, the eclectic approach resulted in individualistic buildings that were stylistically varied. The pioneering work of architectural practices such as those of Robert Venturi, Michael Graves and Charles Jencks would typify this movement.

The building displays a number of characteristics of Postmodernism including the reinterpretation of features of historic Mosque architecture. This is shown in the design of the iwan and muqarnas at the GCM which echo those of notable historic mosques such as the 11^th century additions to the Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran. At the GCM, the traditionally highly decorated arch of the iwan is however shown in abstracted form without applied decoration and built of pigmented concrete.

As well as reinterpreting traditional Islamic architecture, the mosque was designed to reflect its specific setting in Glasgow. Examples of this include the use of particular materials such as red brick, pigmented red concrete and terracotta tiles to reference the red sandstone traditionally used in many of Glasgow's tenements and prominent buildings. The materials used also directly reflect the red sandstone of the neighbouring Union Railway Bridge (St Enoch Bridge) LB44040 and the red brick railway arches which span the southeastern edge of the mosque site.

In keeping with the ambitious aims of the project to create a 'mosque for Scotland', the building is of a substantial scale and is Scotland's largest mosque. The site contains a wide range of features for all the needs of the community including the community centre, the large courtyard gathering space and the mortuary. This is also reflected in the design of the masjid where, in order to create a large, open area for prayer, the building was designed with an innovative structural support system that uses the exterior cantilevered buttresses to free the interior of the masjid from columns and other structural support.

The building is largely unaltered from that shown in Dean of Guild plans of the building from 1978 which show that the mosque was built largely as designed. Alterations in the 21^stcentury including the replacement of the roofing material, addition of solar panels and small single storey extension to the rear of the Masjid have not affected the building's special design interest.

Setting

The GCM is prominently located on the southern banks of the Clyde in central Glasgow. Set next to the A-listed Victoria Bridge (LB32669) and the B-listed Union Railway Bridge (LB44040) the building is prominent in views south and when travelling across the Clyde. The building's setting next to the Clyde is significant as the mosque was designed to be easily located within the cityscape. Its distinctive glass dome and slender minaret have become a familiar landmark in the city and announce the building's function.

The new mosque was built during the 1970s regeneration of the Gorbals on a large site opposite the Glasgow Sheriff Court, (B listed, LB52067), a large and prestigious architectural project by Keppie Henderson and Partners 1972-1986. Both buildings occupy substantial sites and present a distinctively modern group on either side of Gorbals Street.

The scale of the mosque and its courtyard and garden setting is unusual in purpose-built mosques in Scotland. The inclusion of a generous courtyard and garden area is a notable feature of the mosque's immediate setting that characterises the principal approach to the mosque from Gorbals Street, where the large iwan and dome of the mosque are framed in views across the courtyard. While there has been some development to the south of the mosque in the early 21^st century, its immediate setting is substantially unaltered.

As well as being significant in terms of its prominence, the location of the mosque in the northern area of the Gorbals is significant in terms of the history of the Jamiat Ittehad ul Muslimin and the Muslim community in Glasgow in the 20^th century. It was in this area of the Gorbals where the majority of Asian Muslims from India, many from the region of present-day Pakistan, initially lived in the early 1930s through to the late 1960s. The first mosque in Scotland was established a few streets away from the GCM to the west on Oxford Street (now demolished) with the second location on nearby Carlton Place. While the area has undergone substantial regeneration since the 1960s, the fact that there has been a mosque in this area since the 1940s contributes to our understanding of the building's historical context and the development of the Muslim community in Glasgow.

Historic interest

Age and rarity

The Glasgow Central Mosque is of historic interest an early and rare example of a purpose-built mosque in Scotland. It was the largest and most architecturally ambitious example of its building type when it opened in 1984.

While mosques have existed in Scotland since 1944, early examples repurposed existing buildings for worship and only a very small number were purpose-built. Converted premises still make up the majority of mosques today. Mosques in Scotland have also been developed in former churches, schools and one is known to have been a former library. There are 13 mosques established in buildings which are also listed, many of which are former churches.

Glasgow Central Mosque was the first purpose-built mosque to be planned in Scotland. Following discussions spanning 15 years planning permission was granted for the mosque in 1977 (Daily Record, 6 April 1977). Construction of the GCM began in 1979 and the building was opened in 1984. The GCM is Scotland's first combined mosque and Islamic centre complex and the first mosque designed using traditional Islamic architectural design motifs in Scotland.

During the planning and early construction phases of the GCM, a purpose-built mosque was built in south Glasgow for the local Muslim community. The Masjid Noor Mosque, Forth Street, Pollokshields was built on the site of a former sawmills and timber sheds complex and opened in 1979. The design of the building reflects its immediate industrial setting and does not include some of the more traditional features associated with the building type such as a minaret or dome.

According to statistics compiled in 2024 there are around 92 mosques in Scotland (www.muslimsinbritain.org). Only ten of these mosques are understood to be purpose-built buildings. Purpose-built mosques are therefore a rare building type. A major later example of a purpose-built mosque in Scotland is the Edinburgh Central Mosque (designed 1987, opened 1998). The majority of the other purpose-built mosques date to the early 21st century.

Social historical interest

While records trace the presence of Muslims in Scotland back to the early 16^th century it is was from around the mid-19^th century that we find evidence of Muslims settling and working in Scotland, particularly concentrated around urban areas. Examples include the recruitment of Indian seamen (or lascars) to work in cities such as Glasgow with sailors from Bengal also recorded as working in the jute industry in Dundee (Hopkins, pp. 3-4). By the early 20^th century small communities of Muslims were established in Scotland, with a substantial increase in the migration of Muslims from certain parts of India and newly formed Pakistan following the independence and Partition of India in 1947.

The Scottish Muslim population increased steadily through the mid-20^th and into the later 20^th century. The 1970s saw a new phase of internal migration within the United Kingdom with Commonwealth migrants moving to Scotland in the understanding that there was better chance of commercial success here (A Celebration, p 14). This period also saw a number of Muslim families from the middle east and some African and south Asian countries also beginning to settle in Scotland and by 1980 the Muslim population of Scotland is said to have doubled to around 20,000.

As with early settlers, the majority of Muslims in Scotland today live in the country's urban centres, in the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. In Scotland's census of 2022, 119,872 people (2.2% of the population) identified as Muslim. Of that number, the largest proportion of around 40% were resident in Glasgow.

The construction of the GCM from the late 1970s is of outstanding social historical significance for what it tells us about the development of the Muslim community in Scotland in the 20^th century. Hopkins describes the building of the mosque as 'a fine example and testament of the Muslim community within Scotland' and notes the immensity of the achievement of the large scale and high-quality project which was fundraised by the community themselves (p.189). The fact that the aims of the community in building the mosque were recognised internationally by Islamic figures and groups who supported the project through funding and donations reflects the needs and ambitions of the growing community of the period.

Built not only for Glasgow Muslims but as a centre for all Muslims in Scotland, the setting of the GCM in the Gorbals is of historic interest for its links to the early communities of Asian Muslims from Pakistan and India who initially settled in the area in the early 1930s and who established Scotland's first mosque as the Jamiat Ittehad ul Muslimin.

The GCM has also had a role since its opening as a centre of education of Islamic faith in the surrounding community and Scotland more broadly. The mosque hosts visits from school groups, the media and members of the public who wish to learn more about Islam and the building has been used for wider community functions including recently as a Covid vaccination centre.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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