London based architectural practice LUCA POIAN FORMS has been announced as the winners of the international RIBA competition for the design of a new mosque in Preston, Lancashire.

The client was looking for a truly inspirational design to create a timeless landmark building on a site near Preston city centre and visible from the surrounding area.

The competition provided a unique opportunity to design a building which will become a proud part of Preston’s skyscape for many years to come.

The international competition attracted over 200 entries from 40 different countries. Five up-and-coming practices were shortlisted for the second phase:

• BLANKPAGE Architects, Lebanon
• Borough Architects + buchhandler-nelli + elca, Cambridge, UK
• LUCA POIAN FORMS, London, UK
• Mcheileh Studio, New York (Highly Commended by the Evaluation Panel)
• TABE SHOURI, New York