North Harrow Prayer Hall and community centre London with Mangera Yvars Architects
The mixed use scheme won in competition is located in suburban North Harrow. The project incorporates exhibition spaces, lecture rooms, a children’s play centre, prayer space, restaurants, a library and a large underground sports hall. The £25m scheme sets out to create spatial juxtapositions where people of different age groups and religious faiths can meet in an informal play-learn environment.
The sinous form derives from the flowing sides of the East African Great Rift Valley - home to the Sunni client group that are funding and championing the project. The geometric patterning of the facade tells the narrative of the migration of this group from India to East Africa and Britain incorporating motifs from the Delhi Red Fort to the Maasai Mara to William Morris Arts and Crafts of north London. Will led the planning application and detail design on this technically challenging project. Tender 2013. Cost £25m
