Angelo Candalepas: Australian Islamic Mission – the story of the Punchbowl Mosque

‘Mosques in Sydney are rarely designed by architects’, writes Maryam Gusheh in her essay in Angelo Candalepas: Australian Islamic Mission, and are rarely in formalised and dedicated places of worship. The Punchbowl Mosque in Western Sydney, therefore, is particularly unique. Designed by Angelo Candalepas and Associates for the Australian Islamic Mission, who won the National Award for Public Architecture in 2018 for the mosque's design, the Punchbowl Mosque represents a poignant moment of collaboration across faiths and cultures. Angelo Candalepas: Australian Islamic Mission tells its story through four written reflections from faith, architectural, cultural and engineering viewpoints.

The mosque is now iconic for its singular, concrete interior, particularly the 102 quarter-spherical, concrete murqarnas, or domes, in its interior. Senior Associate at Candalepas Associates, Adrian Curtin discusses the bespoke engineering approach to delivering these features. This book also includes the architects' detailed technical drawings for the concrete set-out, acting as a potential guide for others.

In his essay, Angelo Candalepas reflects on universal experiences within faith spaces, underlining that such architecture can have an experiential impact regardless of its religious intention or a person’s beliefs.

Dr Zachariah Matthews of Australian Islamic Mission (AIM), speaks to the design brief and the community support for the project, which proved vital to its construction.

Maryam Gusheh, Associate Professor in Architectural Studies at UNSW, writes from both a professional and personal point of view, illuminating the significance of an architecturally designed mosque for the Muslim community of Sydney.

Beautifully designed by Mark Gowing and illustrated with photographs by Rory Gardiner and Adrian Curtin.