Sudbury professor releases book about Canadian mosque design

Sudbury architecture prof pens book on mosques A new book written by a professor at Laurentian University's School of Architecture explores mosques in Canada. Molly Frommer reports.

The director of the McEwen School of Architecture has released the first comprehensive study of Canadian mosque design.

Tammy Gaber is the author of Beyond the Divide - A Century of Canadian Mosque Design.

The book is based on a research project Gaber started in 2015, with the support of a SSHRC Insight Development Grant.

"It’s written about the history of a community that has had over a century of presence in the country," said Gaber.

"When I was researching, I identified patterns that were regionally associated. So patterns that were prevalent on the east coast, on the west coast, in the prairies, in the north. These patterns are unique and have not been documented before."

Gaber travelled to 53 cities across Canada and visited 90 mosques as part of her research.

"I photographed the exterior of the mosque, with the help of research assistants we drew the interiors of all the mosques," she said.

She studied the architectural floor plans of the mosques to identify patterns of design strategies.

"(It's) nearly a hundred years of construction," Gaber said. "The stories I have to tell go beyond the bricks and mortar."

Gaber said the experience turned into one of the most amazing journeys of her life.

"I went from Victoria to Newfoundland as far up north as Iqaluit and I can comfortably say I’ve been to every major city in the country," she said.

The book has more than 300 photographs and is more than 300 pages long.

Copies of the book are now available for purchase online and in stores.