Work begins on Bolton mosque expansion

Construction has started on the redevelopment of the Taiyabah Islamic Centre in Bolton, an expansion which includes a new mosque and madrassa designed by David Cox Architects.

The Taiyabah mosque on Blackburn Road was established back in 1967 and the name derives from the Arabic term ‘Tayyab’, meaning purity. Due to existing premises running at maximum capacity, and with increasing maintenance costs, the site next to the building was purchased for the new development.

The purpose-built facility will serve over 1,500 worshippers and include 18 classrooms for children’s education and to host community programmes. The scheme also incorporates a mortuary for funeral services, and a minaret tower.

Cox said: “Community involvement was key to unlocking this architectural solution and we attended various open days and study trips to really shape the scheme into what was required. The resulting design focuses on flow and simple, yet inspiring, spaces with an impressive frontage on a very busy road in Bolton.”

Inayat Omarji, one of the Taiyabah project leaders, said: “It was always an aspiration to create our own flagship development in the heart of our community in the Crompton ward of Bolton. The team at David Cox Architects showed a thoughtful understanding of Islamic architecture and their willingness to listen closely to the requirements of the community resulted in a design which has exceeded our expectations. We are now focussed on progressing with stage one of the construction phase.”

The main contractor is Brook Williams Group.