Islamic Center of West Virginia

The Islamic Center of West Virginia, also known as the Islamic Association of West Virginia, was built in 1989 by William Preston of Preston Associates. Preston, a non-Muslim, modeled the mosque on the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, though the finished mosque "captures the flavor" rather than imitates the original. It is a two-story structure made of concrete blocks, with a plan of two rectangles joined together. The facade features arched bays with double sets of windows, and an engaged semi dome on the front. The prayer hall is on the upper level and is illuminated by the tall paired windows.Source:Khalidi, Omar. "Approaches to Mosque Design in North America." In Proceedings of the Symposium on Mosque Architecture: College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, the Ministry of Higher Education : in collaboration with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Da'wa and Guidance : Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 13-17 Shawal, 1419 H, 30 January-3 February, 1999. Volume 3: The Urban Design of Mosques, edited by Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd Allāh Ibn Ṣāliḥ, and ʻAbd al-Ḥafīẓ Fidā Muḥammad Qūqānī, 155-172. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, 1999.