Ramadan Pavilion 2025 launches in Bradford

A stunning new structural artwork – the ‘Ramadan Pavilion’, has been unveiled as part of Bradford’s 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations, marking the start of the holy month of Ramadan and the launch of Ramadan Festival 2025.

Designed by artist Zarah Hussain and Bradford-based architectural designer Fatima Mejbil, ‘Infinite Light’, is designed as a striking double-archway structure drawing on diverse architectural traditions from around the world.

A site-specific structure, the Pavilion responding to the Ramadan Festival 2025 theme of ‘Connection’ and has been designed to appeal to all communities in Bradford.  

The lower arch takes inspiration from the elegant colonnaded courtyards often seen in sacred and civic spaces, such as those surrounding the holy sanctuary in Mecca, built in the 16th century.

The higher arch is influenced by Venetian Gothic architecture, known for its pointed and ornate forms, as seen in Bradford’s own City Hall, completed in the 1870s by local architect Henry Francis Lockwood.    

The Ramadan Pavilion has been designed as a contemplative space welcoming people of all faiths and none and celebrating Bradford’s rich cultural heritage and diverse communities.    

Fatima Mejbil, Architectural Designer of Ramadan Pavilion 2025 said: “From the outset, I was excited about the opportunity to design Ramadan Tent Project’s biennial Ramadan Pavilion in partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, especially given the Ramadan Festival 2025 theme of Connection.

“Bradford’s rich architectural heritage and its vibrant, diverse community provided the perfect backdrop for the Pavilion to unite the city’s past and present.”

She added: “My initial approach was grounded in understanding the context, both the physical space and the people it would serve.

Bradford is a city that has a powerful sense of place, with its stunning architecture and diverse communities. We wanted to create something that would encourage people to pause and truly appreciate the heritage around them, something that would inspire a sense of pride in the city’s rich history.”   

Zarah Hussain, Artist of Ramadan Pavilion 2025 adds: “I know Bradford quite well. I lived in the city for a while in my twenties, I am very familiar with the Town Hall and Centenary Square, however there are lots of things I don’t know about the city!

While researching this project, I discovered the Town Hall was designed by Francis Henry Lockwood in 1873 in a style called Venetian Gothic, inspired by 14th-century Venice, with pointed arches, tracery stonework, and pinnacles.”

She added: “What interests me so much is that there are Connections everywhere – no culture is completely isolated. As humans we are constantly borrowing from each other and being inspired by different communities. I think that respect between different people is at the core of what culture is.”    

Omar Salha, Founder and CEO of Ramadan Tent Project said: “For over a decade Ramadan Tent Project has connected and convened more than one million people from all backgrounds through the UK’s annual Ramadan Festival. We are excited to welcome people of all faiths and none, with a focus on this year’s Ramadan Festival theme of ‘Connection’.    

This year, we are delighted to see the return of our biennial Ramadan Pavilion to the Festival as part of our key partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.”

He added: “The Ramadan Pavilion is designed to serve not only as a physical structure and installation in the public realm which inspires visitors to connect to Islamic arts and architecture, but also a space for thousands of visitors to engage, celebrate and learn about Islam, Ramadan, Muslim history, culture, and heritage.

We are proud to represent a pillar of Britain’s rich cultural ecology celebrating community, belonging and inclusion weaving a tapestry of belonging and connection towards a harmonious society.    

We look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors, from all faith backgrounds and none, to visit the Ramadan Pavilion at Centenary Square and join our events in Bradford and across the UK throughout Ramadan Festival 2025.”