Qatar Foundation’s Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women secured the prestigious 2025 Innovation by Design Award from Fast Company in the Architectural Design category.
The Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, founded Al-Mujadilah in QF’s Education City – the center itself was designed by the renowned firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
This award recognizes Al-Mujadilah’s unique community-focused design, which aims to creates a sanctuary where Muslim women can feel supported as they delve deeper into their faith and find purpose in contemporary society.
“This award is especially meaningful for the Al-Mujadilah team as it affirms our efforts over the past months to support Muslim women’s personal, religious, and communal development,” said the Executive Director at Al-Mujadilah, Sohaira Siddiqui.
“To be recognized by Fast Company is a testament to our commitment to this vision, and to the vital role Muslim women continue to play in fostering dialogue and driving societal progression.”
The Al-Mujadilah was created to be a holistic community hub, complete with a library, café, classrooms, and gardens that actively promote connection and spiritual growth among women.
The architectural centerpiece of Al-Mujadilah is its 9,400 square-foot Musallah, a prayer hall designed for 750 people, which increases its capacity to 1,300 during Ramadan.
This hall links directly to the Qiblah wall, whose unique asymmetrical curvature artfully carves out the Mihrab (niche indicating the direction of prayer) and the Minbar (the Imam’s pulpit).
The center is crowned by a roof featuring over 5,000 light wells that filter sunlight into a diffuse interior glow, with the structure extending outward to provide shade for adjacent outdoor areas.
Completing the design are a large indoor open-air ablution space finished with volcanic stone, and a re-imagined, 39-meter steel-mesh minaret whose speaker clusters ascend and descend for the daily calls to prayer.
“The architecture of Al-Mujadilah reflects our story – a space that encourages innovation while staying deeply grounded in the values of our Islamic faith and heritage,” explained the Director of Communications at Al-Mujadilah, Fatima Al-Dosari.
“Designed as a dedicated space for Muslim women to connect with their faith and one another, this recognition by Fast Company strengthens our ability to inspire, engage, and support women across diverse communities.”
