Morden Mosque
- Category: Projects
- Date Published: 30th March 2023
- ARCHITECT: John McAslan + Partners
- Project Manager: The Rowe Partnership
- MEP Consultant: Thronley & Lumb
- Structural Engineer: JPG; Structures
- Stonemason: Putney & Wood
- BREEAM Consultant: FES Group
John McAslan + Partners’ post-fire remodelling of Britain’s Largest Mosque with new landmark entrance.
John McAslan + Partners has designed a grand new entrance and administrative building or Britain’s largest mosque located in Morden, Surrey. The remodelling of the five-storey building followed in the wake of extensive damage to the 21,000 sqm Baitul Futuh mosque complex caused by a fire in September 2015. Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK successfully raised the funds for the £20 million for the restoration project and Rolfe Judd Planning, acting as planning consultants worked alongside John McAslan + Partners in securing planning permission from London Borough of Merton for the substantial increase in new administration and prayer space for the community.
Today the 13,000 capacity Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitul Futuh mosque complex is home to the existing prayer hall in the mosque – dating from 2003 – and community spaces including function halls as well as offices, accommodation, dining rooms and television and radio studios.
The new street-facing facade creates a welcoming entrance to the Mosque complex emphasising its identity as a local landmark. Separate entrance points for pedestrians will improve safety on the site while encouraging the use of external public spaces for gatherings. New vertical cores improve circulation, provide additional safety provisions and maximise accessibility for all users.

The elevation is based on the principles of the mosque typology of symmetry and geometry. This is expressed by the same treatment of the east and the west sides of the building using a simple material palette and symmetric domes. The rigorous arches and columns decreasing in scale as one ascends the building, emphasises the verticality and unifies the facade creating a cohesive frontage. Views of the courtyard are available from the front north facade with the metal screens providing privacy for the occupiers of the building. The geometric shapes on the screens symbolise infinity and the omnipresence of God.
Architect Fanos Panayides, Director at John McAslan + Partners says,
We are delighted to be part of the project that has been a genuine community collaboration bringing together Islamic and British architectural traditions.
John McAslan + Partners has emphasised and highlighted the civic qualities of Islamic architecture through geometry, symmetry and the presence of a generous colonnade that provides a distinct frontage to the complex as well as a sense of permeability connecting the building to its wider urban context. The sheltered loggia-like spaces also bring congregations together before and after services.
Baitul Futuh headquarters building is dressed limestone with smooth and textured elements for visual contrast. These include ornate Mashrabiyaetal screens giving the building a dignity, richness and layering customary to Islamic architecture. The colour palette is restrained with bronze coloured detailing for warmth and interest. The aim of John McAslan + Partners has been to create a timeless building that will age well as an extension of the local community.
The design principles that inform the project’s longevity are key factors in making the building sustainable. Other measures like photovoltaic solar panels on the roof and water supply via a borehole on site also play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of the mosque complex. In addition to this, water saving via a rainwater attenuation tank has been adopted by the design team.
The introduction of soft landscaping and trees will green the surrounding hardscape of the dual carriage road and adjacent railway lines and depot. It will also draw users towards the building and encourage the use of the grounds as a community space.



Sean Tickle, a Director at Rolfe Judd Planning, says
It has been a pleasure to work as part of a team delivering such an important space that helps the community come together and which helps them reinforce their message of love for all, hatred for none.

Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK says
We are absolutely delighted at the inspiring new design of the new headquarters building. John McAslan + Partners and Rolfe Judd Planning have done amazing work in bringing this to life and I pay tribute to their professionalism and expertise throughout the project.
The mosque complex restoration project has had a transformative impact on the look and utility of the site. It proclaims a warm welcome to the world outside and is a landmark building for London, showing how inclusive and diverse the capital is.
Our members had a vision when they came forward with their contributions for the restoration. The building needed to serve as a spiritual and functional space, and the building does just that. Its architecture reflects not only that this is Britain’s biggest mosque, but also reflects our compassionate ethos of Love for All, Hatred for None.


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