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In today's dataBase Project of the Day feature, we take a look at one of the more interesting cultural developments occurring within the city, the Aga Khan + Ismaili Centre, currently under construction near Eglinton Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway.
The Aga Khan + Ismaili Centre is being developed by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), an international organization founded by the Aga Khan, with a mandate to help and educate those in need regardless of faith, origin or gender. The Aga Khan is the heredity spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and with this project hopes to provide a better understanding of the diversity that exists within Muslim cultures through creating an educational, cultural and religious space. Once complete, the Aga Khan Museum will be the largest collection of Islamic art in North America, and has already managed to scoop up international figures in the museum scene, with the former director of the Getty Museum in L.A. relocating to Toronto to take up directorship of the Aga Khan Museum.
The Aga Khan Museum will be connected with the Ismaili Centre, a spiritual hub for Toronto's Ismaili Muslim community and a communal space for the exchange of knowledge and understanding between a diverse group of people. The Ismaili Centre will serve the Jamat, or Ismaili community as well as the larger non-Muslim community, with a focus on building bridges and encouraging dialogue. The architecture of the Ismaili Centre is defined by the prayer hall's crystalline dome, which will bathe the interior in light and create a visual alignment with the Qibla axis.
Project architect Maki and Associates who are located in Tokyo are working alongside longtime Toronto architects Moriyama & Teshima in designing a modern structure of simplified forms. The museum will be centered on a courtyard, which will act as a communal space for the variety of functions the building contains, while ensuring each section of the building maintains a sense of distinction and privacy.
The Ismaili Centre is designed by Charles Correa Associates along with Moriyama & Teshima, and will be surrounded by a park space designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic. Both the museum and Ismaili Centre will be connected by this landscaped park, which will contain formal elements as well as more informal spaces for educational programming and flexible activities.
The development has so far drawn international attention, being visited by both the Aga Khan as well as prime minister Stephen Harper. The cranes recently came down, and we are able to see the form of the structure before the cladding is applied. We can expect the development to be completed by 2013, and you can bet the opening will be a once-in-a-lifetime event to attend. Below are some great photos of the construction process; keep an eye out here for more, and leave us a comment below with our opinion of the project.
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