Peace and serenity with natural greenery in historical renovation of England’s first mosque

The Abdullah Quilliam Society (AQS) have been fundraising to restore the original first mosque in England, room by room.  The Liverpool mosque was founded by a Victorian English convert to Islam, Abdullah Quilliam in 1887. It closed as a mosque in 1910 and was subsequently used for almost a century as a registry office. The mosque itself reopened in 2014 and its new refurbishments continue, thanks to community fundraising from AQS.

Adding natural greenery to the restorations

As part of these restorations, the ablution area or Wudu space has seen a complete refit.  With a very specific plan in mind for this sacred washroom area, the AQS selected Inleaf as their living plant partner.  Choosing the LivePanel living wall system from Mobilane allowed the Inleaf technical team to adapt the planted sections perfectly to fit the specific configuration behind each wash area.  Wudu is a traditional ritual of Islam that refers to the mental preparation and physical cleanliness before prayer.

Bronze and gold-framed greenery

The bronze and gold framed LivePanels were custom-made for an exact fit and the desired opulence befitting of the sacred ablution area.  The lush green foliage of the plants makes a naturally bold colour statement against its white marble background.

Plant choice for a foliage, flower and contrast

The LivePanel pockets were filled with the most appropriate of varieties, selected for their air-purifying qualities, flower and foliage contrast, variegated margins, glossy leaves and some trailing plants too.  The planting mix included peace lilies, dracaena and epripremum for that sweeping effect.

Beauty, serenity and function: LivePanel

Installed in the Wudu in 2018, this basement creation also meant accommodating a challenging fit around pillars and fixtures in a room with restricted natural light.  The LivePanel galleries are manually irrigated and there is lighting and water cascades to add to the calm of this most serene of areas. The completed wudu facilities now reflect the desired memories of a bygone Islamic civilisation where these ablution areas were places of beauty with decorative fountains set amongst great courtyards and planted finery.

Ongoing community support: Restoring England’s First Mosque

Installed by Inleaf from funds raised by different community funding streams and the Abdullah Quilliam Society of Liverpool.

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