Welcome to MET Community Center!
Fitness, Sports, Recreational, Banquet and Meeting Facilities for the Entire Family
Muslim Educational Trust Community and Educational Center is the first center of its kind in the Portland metro area to provide a gathering place for the entire Muslim community. It is a place where people may come together to grow in mutual understanding and respect, helping to make the Portland area a better place for all citizens. Approximately 36,000 square feet in area, the center welcomes members of all faiths as we at MET have since our founding in 1993.
Our Story
The Center welcomes and encourages members of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds to partake in a wide variety of on-site activities and events, including athletics, lectures, concerts, art openings, researches, study opportunities, shopping, interfaith dialogues, and social events such as MET’s monthly potluck/forum, weddings, and other celebrations.
The Center also provides a sense of belonging to the community while being a local symbol of our permanent existence as American Muslims. It is an inclusive place for community interaction, neutral and honest forums where varying cultural similarities and differences can be discussed and appreciated. The Center is also a house to Islamic School of Muslim Educational Trust (ISMET - Pre-K - 5th Grade) and Oregon Islamic Academy (OIA - 6th - 12th Grade).
Center Design
Design incorporates the history, traditions, and cultures of American Muslims. With its use of geometry, massing, light, materials and imagery of the middle eastern region to provide clues and precedents for the design, the design has roots in a rich tradition. It is the application of these ideas with an abstract or modern interpretation that allows the building to be a strong cultural symbol, and be rooted in the modern day. The facade responds to the life force of the central tree, creating a subtle spiral that leads the community to the Center’s entry. The facade of the indoor swimming pool is a geometric veil with a translucent panel to allow day light, while creating privacy for community members. The backlighting at night reveals the arches and becomes a lantern to the community. The minaret and dome are local symbols of Islamic heritage and provide a locus for members of our community to celebrate their heritage while fully engaging in their broader communities.
Modest style of the Educational Center, with elements of the Middle-East, creates a soothing backdrop to the courtyard oak and the energetic community areas of the building. Dynamic forms against the street interact with the neighborhood. The variety of materials, colors, and transparency creates changing qualities that stimulate the site over the course of the day.