A tribute has been paid by Cambridge’s Muslim community to the Jewish architect who designed the city’s massive new mosque.

The £17 million mosque was designed by David Marks, who died on October 6 after a battle with cancer.

The 64-year-old, along with Julia Barfield, were the inventors and designers of the London Eye, and are the architects of the stunning new eco-mosque, due to open next year.

Mr Marks also designed the British Airways i360 observation tower on the seafront at Brighton, and the Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens, west London.

David Marks - far right - with Cambridge Mosque Project team

A statement from Cambridge’ Mosque Trust said: “The Cambridge Mosque Trust has been deeply saddened by the news that its architect David Marks died on October 6 after a long illness.

“We came to him with an ambitious project that would satisfy a religious community living in a minority setting within a historic English city, and he gave us a solution that was both daring and delightful.

“As the Cambridge Mosque takes shape before our eyes, David’s inspired vision will become more and more clear: innovative, soaring, technically adept, and wholly dignified. May he rest in peace.”

Mr Marks’s overall design for the site has been developed from the concept of a calm ‘oasis’ with about 20 new cypress trees creating a new permeable green edge around the building.

The mosque will hold a congregation of up to 1,000 men and women and will have a café, teaching area and meeting rooms for use by the whole community.

It will also feature a golden dome.

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