The Dome - 2004

The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo got a new look, in 2004, when it was capped with
a golden, 30-foot-high geodesic dome. The 18,000-pound aluminum dome, built by the California-based firm Temcor, at a cost of about $300,000, was hoisted by crane and placed atop the mosque's white dome.

The old dome, which has been on top of the mosque since its 1983 construction, was made of plaster, concrete, and Styrofoam. Although the old dome was structurally sound, its epoxy surface frequently cracked and needed cosmetic touch-ups. The construction project was spearheaded by Hussien Y. Shousher, a civil engineer and member of the Council of the Islamic Center.

The gold-painted aluminum dome is expected to be maintenance-free for 25 to 30 years.

The Toledo architectural firm SSOE Inc. oversaw the structural and architectural aspects of the dome project, and the Lake Township construction company Rudolph-Libbe Inc. lifted the dome atop the mosque.

The Qur'an, the Islamic holy book, does not specify requirements for architectural forms, but members of the Islamic Center's board wanted the building and its new dome to be
"in harmony with the people, with our environment, and most importantly, with our Creator."

With the dome and twin minarets and a location at the confluence of two busy interstate highways, I-75 and I-475, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo is a familiar landmark in northwest Ohio. State highway officials say the addition of a golden geodesic dome is not expected to draw any more attention than usual to the building, which is passed by an estimated 110,000 drivers daily.

The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo was founded in 1954 in downtown Toledo and moved to the Perrysburg Township site in 1983. About 500 families belong to the mosque.


Dome being assembled Oct 2004	Dome being assembled Oct 2004	Dome being assembled Oct 2004

Hajj Hussein Boraby Oct 2004	Scaffolding around dome Oct 2004	Completed Dome on ground Nov 2004

Completed Dome on ground Nov 2004	Crane in place to lift dome Nov 2004	Crane in place to lift dome Nov 2004

Dome ready to be lifted Nov 2004	An aerial view of the dome before it was lifted into place