The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo - the Middle Eastern-style mosque prominently located at the juncture of I-475 and I-75 in Perrysburg Township - got a new look yesterday when it was capped with a golden, 30-foot-high geodesic dome.

The 18,000-pound aluminum dome, built by the California-based firm Temcor at a cost of about $300,000, was hoisted by crane yesterday morning and placed atop the mosque's white dome.

The old dome, which has been on top of the building since its 1983 construction, was made of plaster, concrete, and Styrofoam.

Although the old dome was structurally sound, its epoxy surface frequently cracked and needed cosmetic touch-ups, according to Hussien Shousher, a civil engineer and member of the board of the Islamic Center who spearheaded the construction project.

The gold-painted aluminum dome is expected to be maintenance-free for 25 to 30 years, he said.

The Toledo architectural firm SSOE Inc. oversaw the structural and architectural aspects of the dome project, and the Lake Township construction company Rudolph-Libbe Inc. lifted the dome atop the mosque.

Mr. Shousher said the Qur'an, the Islamic holy book, does not specify requirements for architectural forms, but members of the Islamic Center's board wanted the building and its new dome to be "in harmony with the people, with our environment, and most importantly, with our Creator."

With its dome and twin minarets and a location at the confluence of two busy interstate highways, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo is a familiar landmark in northwest Ohio.

State highway officials said the addition of a golden geodesic dome is not expected to draw any more attention than usual to the building, which is passed by an estimated 110,000 drivers daily.

The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo was founded in 1954 in downtown Toledo and moved to the Perrysburg Township site in 1983. About 500 families belong to the mosque, according to Imam Farooq Abo-Elzahab.

First Published November 17, 2004, 1:06 p.m.