Aga Khan plans still on
Plans are still in the works to build a Muslim Ismaili center at the corner of Allen Parkway and Montrose, according to the group that bought the property in 2006 and tore down the art deco warehouse that had sat on it for decades.
The Aga Khan Foundation purchased the 11-acre property with plans to build a facility to house conferences and lectures relating to the Aga Khan Development Network as well as for recitals and exhibitions to educate the public about Islam's heritage.
The building was also expected to contain a prayer hall, classrooms and offices, the group said when it bought the property.
The design concept and timeline for development weren't known when the property was purchased, however, and they still aren't.
“At the moment, no concrete plans have been developed,” said Zahir Janmohamed, CEO of the Aga Khan Council for the USA.
For now, the site is being used as a construction staging area for work being done on a nearby bridge.
Nothing is likely to happen there until a similar Ismaili center, which should break ground this year, is completed in Toronto.
And then Houston will be one of three new centers that could be developed next. The other two are in Los Angeles and Paris.
The Aga Khan will make the decision.
“We stand a good one-third chance to be the next,” Janmohamed said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bus ... 73867.html
ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Let’s Show The World How Houston Does It (Again)
Posted in Houston, big questions, things there should be by nonsequiteuse on September 15, 2010
Recall the news from late 2006: The Aga Khan Foundation purchased land on the southeast corner of Allen Parkway at Montrose. According to HCAD, they still own the property, and while I’m sure their plans have been delayed for the same reason so many other large-scale construction projects have been in the past few years, I have not heard anything that leads me to believe the plans have changed.
Plans for the building of an Ismaili community center. Plans made and financed by an imam (the Aga Khan) who is the spiritual leader of an enormous Shia Muslim community.
Perhaps you’ve read a news story or 100 lately about how plans for a community center centered on the Muslim faith can stir emotions? And not, maybe, the nicest, noblest emotions? Perhaps you recall how some in the exurbs of Houston reacted a few years back to a smaller-scale but similar project? (Google “pig races Katy Islamic Association” if you’ve forgotten.)
Let me be very clear about several things:
1. Calling the Park51 development the “Ground Zero Mosque” is about as cricket as calling high fructose corn syrup corn sugar.
2. I still cling to the indoctrination I received during Saturday morning cartoons about what makes our country great. (This.)
3. I find nothing funny about peace, love, or understanding. (Reading the rest of this blog entry will be better with this video playing in the background. Try it.)
4. The Ismaili center has as much right to be here as any other organization.
5. Having a beautiful new building on this corner with space for cultural events, educational lectures, and religious gatherings will give Houston more feathers in our architectural and cultural caps.
6. Yes, anything built on this lot will generate more traffic at an already-horrible intersection. Maybe the Aga Khan Foundation could bump up the budget by a couple of hundred thousand to provide some fencing and off-street parking for the illegal dog park on the northwest corner of this intersection to mitigate the situation. Don’t dog parks make all development better?
Bottom line—how can Houston get ahead of the haters on this project? How can we plan to welcome this new cultural institution and head off any attempts to turn the development of the property into a media feeding frenzy focused on alarmingly-mustachoied hatemongers.
We need a coalition of the business, religious, cultural leaders, and concerned, connected citizens of our town to start planning now so that we can demonstrate to the world (once again) that Houston welcomes all comers, invites cross-cultural communication and collaboration, and thrives because of our diversity.
http://nonsequiteuse.wordpress.com/2010 ... -it-again/
Posted in Houston, big questions, things there should be by nonsequiteuse on September 15, 2010
Recall the news from late 2006: The Aga Khan Foundation purchased land on the southeast corner of Allen Parkway at Montrose. According to HCAD, they still own the property, and while I’m sure their plans have been delayed for the same reason so many other large-scale construction projects have been in the past few years, I have not heard anything that leads me to believe the plans have changed.
Plans for the building of an Ismaili community center. Plans made and financed by an imam (the Aga Khan) who is the spiritual leader of an enormous Shia Muslim community.
Perhaps you’ve read a news story or 100 lately about how plans for a community center centered on the Muslim faith can stir emotions? And not, maybe, the nicest, noblest emotions? Perhaps you recall how some in the exurbs of Houston reacted a few years back to a smaller-scale but similar project? (Google “pig races Katy Islamic Association” if you’ve forgotten.)
Let me be very clear about several things:
1. Calling the Park51 development the “Ground Zero Mosque” is about as cricket as calling high fructose corn syrup corn sugar.
2. I still cling to the indoctrination I received during Saturday morning cartoons about what makes our country great. (This.)
3. I find nothing funny about peace, love, or understanding. (Reading the rest of this blog entry will be better with this video playing in the background. Try it.)
4. The Ismaili center has as much right to be here as any other organization.
5. Having a beautiful new building on this corner with space for cultural events, educational lectures, and religious gatherings will give Houston more feathers in our architectural and cultural caps.
6. Yes, anything built on this lot will generate more traffic at an already-horrible intersection. Maybe the Aga Khan Foundation could bump up the budget by a couple of hundred thousand to provide some fencing and off-street parking for the illegal dog park on the northwest corner of this intersection to mitigate the situation. Don’t dog parks make all development better?
Bottom line—how can Houston get ahead of the haters on this project? How can we plan to welcome this new cultural institution and head off any attempts to turn the development of the property into a media feeding frenzy focused on alarmingly-mustachoied hatemongers.
We need a coalition of the business, religious, cultural leaders, and concerned, connected citizens of our town to start planning now so that we can demonstrate to the world (once again) that Houston welcomes all comers, invites cross-cultural communication and collaboration, and thrives because of our diversity.
http://nonsequiteuse.wordpress.com/2010 ... -it-again/
Landmark Tolerance sculptures close to the site of Ismaili Centre Houston.
Excerpt:
"During the dedication, Mayor Parker and former Houston Mayor Bill White publicly recognised Mawlana Hazar Imam’s partnership with the City of Houston in the Tolerance project, and his longstanding engagement with the city. Indeed, the vacant expanse along Allen Parkway across from the Tolerance sculptures is the site of a future high profile Ismaili Centre. There are five Ismaili Centres located in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai and Dushanbe, with another in Toronto under construction and Centres in Houston, Los Angeles and Paris in the planning stages.
“The Ismaili Centre will be an architectural statement and a place of peace, harmony, and welcome,” said Mayor Parker. “Thank you to the Aga Khan for a very significant gift towards the Tolerance project and for his commitment to Houston.”"
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1192/Mawl ... -tolerance
Excerpt:
"During the dedication, Mayor Parker and former Houston Mayor Bill White publicly recognised Mawlana Hazar Imam’s partnership with the City of Houston in the Tolerance project, and his longstanding engagement with the city. Indeed, the vacant expanse along Allen Parkway across from the Tolerance sculptures is the site of a future high profile Ismaili Centre. There are five Ismaili Centres located in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai and Dushanbe, with another in Toronto under construction and Centres in Houston, Los Angeles and Paris in the planning stages.
“The Ismaili Centre will be an architectural statement and a place of peace, harmony, and welcome,” said Mayor Parker. “Thank you to the Aga Khan for a very significant gift towards the Tolerance project and for his commitment to Houston.”"
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1192/Mawl ... -tolerance
Mawlana Hazar Imam to establish Ismaili Centre in Houston
Mawlana Hazar Imam confirmed plans to build a high-profile center in Houston on 22 March during his final Mulaqat of the USA Diamond Jubilee visit. He went on to say that the process of selecting architects is already underway with guidance from Hazar Imam’s brother Prince Amyn.
President of the Ismaili Council for the United States, Dr. Barkat Fazal, commented, “We are immensely grateful to Mawlana Hazar Imam as this Center, representing our ethics and values, will serve as an ambassadorial building furthering community connection and dialogue.”
Ismaili Centres represent the permanent presence and the core values of Ismaili communities around the world. These buildings, exceptional in architectural form, embody the hopeful aspirations of a forward-looking community. Through their libraries, classrooms, gardens, meeting spaces, and prayer halls, the buildings function as places of learning, contemplation, discovery, dialogue, and friendship. To learn more, visit the Ismaili Centres site.
During the same Mulaqat, on behalf of the USA Jamat, President Fazal presented a loyalty address to Mawlana Hazar Imam, and Vice-President Zahir Ladhani presented a gift to Hazar Imam of a collection of 147 glass weights dating back to the Fatimid era during the 10th and 11th centuries.
The weights illustrate the colorful variety, diversity, and artistic creativity of glass produced at the time of the Fatimid dynasty. Symbolically, they also represent aspects relating to pluralism, ethics, and equity, as well as religious and spiritual authority. The glass weights are inscribed with the names and titles of the Ismaili Imams of the period, as well as other phrases attesting to the Imam’s authority or wilaya. The inscriptions also emphasise the central role of the Imam and the concept of Imamah in Ismaili history and thought.
Addressing the Jamat gathered in Houston, Mawlana Hazar Imam expressed gratitude and happiness over his Diamond Jubilee visit to the United States, and conveyed guidance and blessings to the Jamat in the US and around the world.
Yesterday, on the occasion of Navroz, Hazar Imam was presented with the One Jamat Mosaic, comprising thousands of individual photos into a single, cohesive work of art. The mosaic was created by Ismaili artists to capture the excitement and anticipation of members of the USA Jamat during the Diamond Jubilee year, and in the lead up to Hazar Imam’s visit.
https://the.ismaili/diamond-jubilee/maw ... sh-houston
Mawlana Hazar Imam confirmed plans to build a high-profile center in Houston on 22 March during his final Mulaqat of the USA Diamond Jubilee visit. He went on to say that the process of selecting architects is already underway with guidance from Hazar Imam’s brother Prince Amyn.
President of the Ismaili Council for the United States, Dr. Barkat Fazal, commented, “We are immensely grateful to Mawlana Hazar Imam as this Center, representing our ethics and values, will serve as an ambassadorial building furthering community connection and dialogue.”
Ismaili Centres represent the permanent presence and the core values of Ismaili communities around the world. These buildings, exceptional in architectural form, embody the hopeful aspirations of a forward-looking community. Through their libraries, classrooms, gardens, meeting spaces, and prayer halls, the buildings function as places of learning, contemplation, discovery, dialogue, and friendship. To learn more, visit the Ismaili Centres site.
During the same Mulaqat, on behalf of the USA Jamat, President Fazal presented a loyalty address to Mawlana Hazar Imam, and Vice-President Zahir Ladhani presented a gift to Hazar Imam of a collection of 147 glass weights dating back to the Fatimid era during the 10th and 11th centuries.
The weights illustrate the colorful variety, diversity, and artistic creativity of glass produced at the time of the Fatimid dynasty. Symbolically, they also represent aspects relating to pluralism, ethics, and equity, as well as religious and spiritual authority. The glass weights are inscribed with the names and titles of the Ismaili Imams of the period, as well as other phrases attesting to the Imam’s authority or wilaya. The inscriptions also emphasise the central role of the Imam and the concept of Imamah in Ismaili history and thought.
Addressing the Jamat gathered in Houston, Mawlana Hazar Imam expressed gratitude and happiness over his Diamond Jubilee visit to the United States, and conveyed guidance and blessings to the Jamat in the US and around the world.
Yesterday, on the occasion of Navroz, Hazar Imam was presented with the One Jamat Mosaic, comprising thousands of individual photos into a single, cohesive work of art. The mosaic was created by Ismaili artists to capture the excitement and anticipation of members of the USA Jamat during the Diamond Jubilee year, and in the lead up to Hazar Imam’s visit.
https://the.ismaili/diamond-jubilee/maw ... sh-houston
Mayor: First Ismaili Center in the U.S. will be located in Houston
HOUSTON - Mayor Sylvester Turner is celebrating the announcement by the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims worldwide, that the first official Ismaili Center in the United States will be built in the heart of Houston.
Winding up a week-long visit to Houston, His Highness the Aga Khan confirmed that the Center will be located at the intersection of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard just west of downtown. The planning process for selecting an architect has begun.
Hundreds of thousands of Ismaili Muslims live in the U.S. and Canada, with Houston having the largest population.
“The Aga Khan’s decision to locate the first center in Houston is a golden reflection of the city itself and of all Ismailis,” the mayor said. “Ismailis believe in pluralism, tolerance, openness, development, education and cultural engagement, making the Center a perfect fit for the most diverse city in the United States, where neighbors helping neighbors is one of our distinguishing traits and cultural engagement is an everyday part of our lives.”
Ismaili Centers are places of learning, contemplation, prayer, discovery, dialogue, and friendship, said the mayor, who visited a center in London during a trade mission last year.
“It was my privilege to welcome His Highness to Houston last weekend and to meet with him to discuss the work of the Aga Khan Development Network around the globe, as well as the contribution of the Ismaili Muslims to Greater Houston,” the mayor remarked.
The Houston Center “will be a representation of our ethics and values, and will serve as an ambassadorial building furthering community connection and dialogue,” said the president of the Ismaili Council for the United States, Dr. Barkat Fazal.
The Aga Khan departed Houston today after a trip celebrating his Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as the Ismaili Imam.
https://mailchi.mp/houstontx/mayor-appl ... a6c7b9493a
HOUSTON - Mayor Sylvester Turner is celebrating the announcement by the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims worldwide, that the first official Ismaili Center in the United States will be built in the heart of Houston.
Winding up a week-long visit to Houston, His Highness the Aga Khan confirmed that the Center will be located at the intersection of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard just west of downtown. The planning process for selecting an architect has begun.
Hundreds of thousands of Ismaili Muslims live in the U.S. and Canada, with Houston having the largest population.
“The Aga Khan’s decision to locate the first center in Houston is a golden reflection of the city itself and of all Ismailis,” the mayor said. “Ismailis believe in pluralism, tolerance, openness, development, education and cultural engagement, making the Center a perfect fit for the most diverse city in the United States, where neighbors helping neighbors is one of our distinguishing traits and cultural engagement is an everyday part of our lives.”
Ismaili Centers are places of learning, contemplation, prayer, discovery, dialogue, and friendship, said the mayor, who visited a center in London during a trade mission last year.
“It was my privilege to welcome His Highness to Houston last weekend and to meet with him to discuss the work of the Aga Khan Development Network around the globe, as well as the contribution of the Ismaili Muslims to Greater Houston,” the mayor remarked.
The Houston Center “will be a representation of our ethics and values, and will serve as an ambassadorial building furthering community connection and dialogue,” said the president of the Ismaili Council for the United States, Dr. Barkat Fazal.
The Aga Khan departed Houston today after a trip celebrating his Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as the Ismaili Imam.
https://mailchi.mp/houstontx/mayor-appl ... a6c7b9493a
Houston Trade Mission to India Opened Doors to More Local Economic & Cultural Expansion
Excerpt:
Mayor Turner also visited sites in New Delhi with connections to future cultural amenities in Houston for residents and visitors alike. The mayor examined the Aga Khan Development Network’s restoration and expansion of buildings and grounds at Hamayun’s Tomb, a 16th century attraction that inspired the design of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The Aga Khan Foundation, led by the spiritual leader of Islam’s Ismaili movement worldwide, has announced plans to build a cultural center in central Houston.
More...
http://www.indoamerican-news.com/housto ... expansion/
Excerpt:
Mayor Turner also visited sites in New Delhi with connections to future cultural amenities in Houston for residents and visitors alike. The mayor examined the Aga Khan Development Network’s restoration and expansion of buildings and grounds at Hamayun’s Tomb, a 16th century attraction that inspired the design of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The Aga Khan Foundation, led by the spiritual leader of Islam’s Ismaili movement worldwide, has announced plans to build a cultural center in central Houston.
More...
http://www.indoamerican-news.com/housto ... expansion/
http://realtynewsreport.com/2019/02/08/ ... im-center/
Sunday , 10 February 2019
Site of Houston’s First Sears Store to become Major Ismaili Muslim Center
Eleven acres south of Buffalo Bayou will used for Ismaili Muslim Center.
HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – An Ismaili Muslim center is being planned for a prime 11-acre tract – once the site of Houston’s first Sears store – just west of downtown Houston near Buffalo Bayou.
The Ismaili Center in Houston will serve the city’s approximately 40,000 Ismaili Muslims and is expected to include a Jamatkhana, or prayer hall, educational spaces, a social hall, and several multi-purpose meeting and conference spaces.
The site, which slopes down from West Dallas Street toward the bayou, is at the southeast corner of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard.
The land was once the site of Houston’s first Sears store, opening in 1929. After flood waters from Buffalo Bayou inundated the store in 1935, Sears relocated to its South Main Street store in Midtown. The Allen Parkway property became a landmark art deco industrial property known as the Robinson Warehouse.
In 2006, the property was purchased by the Aga Khan Foundation. Then the Robinson Warehouse was demolished, clearing the way for Ismaili Center.
Although it will be several years before the center is complete, the architecture team was recently selected following a international design competition.
“We are excited to be working with architects of world stature and experience to design this unique project. It will embody both Houston’s and the Ismaili community’s pluralistic vision,” said Barkat Fazal, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA.
DLR Group/Westlake Reed Leskosky will collaborate with London-based design architect Farshid Moussavi on the project. Moussavi also works as an architecture professor at Harvard University. Landscape architect Nelson Byrd Woltz will work on the project, which will have courtyards and open spaces that could be impacted in times of extreme bayou flooding.
The new Ismaili Center will be the seventh in a series of iconic cultural buildings His Highness the Aga Khan has commissioned over the past four decades in the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and Tajikistan. Once complete, the center will serve as a national hub for the social, cultural, and intellectual activities of the Ismaili Muslim Community.
“We are very honored to partner with the Ismaili community to bring this historic building to life,” said DLR Group|WRL Senior Principal Paul Westlake, who leads the firm’s Cultural+Performing Arts Studio. “Houston is home to one of the largest Ismaili Muslim populations in North America, and the new center will serve as a place where community members can learn, pray, and engage in fellowship. Our team is privileged to have been chosen for a project that will have such a lasting impact on the local community and beyond.”
Feb. 8, 2019 Realty News Report Copyright 2019
Sunday , 10 February 2019
Site of Houston’s First Sears Store to become Major Ismaili Muslim Center
Eleven acres south of Buffalo Bayou will used for Ismaili Muslim Center.
HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – An Ismaili Muslim center is being planned for a prime 11-acre tract – once the site of Houston’s first Sears store – just west of downtown Houston near Buffalo Bayou.
The Ismaili Center in Houston will serve the city’s approximately 40,000 Ismaili Muslims and is expected to include a Jamatkhana, or prayer hall, educational spaces, a social hall, and several multi-purpose meeting and conference spaces.
The site, which slopes down from West Dallas Street toward the bayou, is at the southeast corner of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard.
The land was once the site of Houston’s first Sears store, opening in 1929. After flood waters from Buffalo Bayou inundated the store in 1935, Sears relocated to its South Main Street store in Midtown. The Allen Parkway property became a landmark art deco industrial property known as the Robinson Warehouse.
In 2006, the property was purchased by the Aga Khan Foundation. Then the Robinson Warehouse was demolished, clearing the way for Ismaili Center.
Although it will be several years before the center is complete, the architecture team was recently selected following a international design competition.
“We are excited to be working with architects of world stature and experience to design this unique project. It will embody both Houston’s and the Ismaili community’s pluralistic vision,” said Barkat Fazal, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA.
DLR Group/Westlake Reed Leskosky will collaborate with London-based design architect Farshid Moussavi on the project. Moussavi also works as an architecture professor at Harvard University. Landscape architect Nelson Byrd Woltz will work on the project, which will have courtyards and open spaces that could be impacted in times of extreme bayou flooding.
The new Ismaili Center will be the seventh in a series of iconic cultural buildings His Highness the Aga Khan has commissioned over the past four decades in the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and Tajikistan. Once complete, the center will serve as a national hub for the social, cultural, and intellectual activities of the Ismaili Muslim Community.
“We are very honored to partner with the Ismaili community to bring this historic building to life,” said DLR Group|WRL Senior Principal Paul Westlake, who leads the firm’s Cultural+Performing Arts Studio. “Houston is home to one of the largest Ismaili Muslim populations in North America, and the new center will serve as a place where community members can learn, pray, and engage in fellowship. Our team is privileged to have been chosen for a project that will have such a lasting impact on the local community and beyond.”
Feb. 8, 2019 Realty News Report Copyright 2019
https://www.dezeen.com/2019/02/12/ismai ... -moussavi/
Farshid Moussavi to design first Ismaili Center in the USA
Eleanor Gibson
Iranian-born British architect Farshid Moussavi has been selected ahead of Rem Koolhaas, Jeanne Gang and David Chipperfield to design an Ismaili cultural centre in Houston, Texas.
The London-based architect will work with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, Hanif Kara of structural engineering firm AKT II and Paul Westlake of design firm DLR Group to design the Ismaili Center for an 11-acre (4.5-hectare) site in downtown Houston.
Spearheaded by Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, the centre will be the first dedicated to the Shia Ismaili Muslim community in the United States, and the seventh worldwide, following outposts in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Toronto, British Columbia and Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan.
Farshid Moussavi "honoured" to design Ismaili Center Houston
Moussavi said she was honoured to work on the project: "It will bring Houston's diverse communities together in a unique space for cultural, educational and social activities."
"Our team brings a broad perspective for the Ismaili Center, with diverse skills and experience in international practice, scholarly research, multidisciplinary thinking and delivering cultural projects successfully in the United States," she added.
Ismaili Centre by Charles Correa
The Houston site will be the second in North America, following the Toronto hub, which was completed in 2015
Moussavi's proposal, for a plot that runs along the city's waterway, was selected as the winner of a competition on 5 February 2019, ahead of Koolhaas, Gang and Chipperfield.
"The evaluation and selection of these architects was both intense and enlightening," said the president of the Ismaili Council for the USA, Barkat Fazal.
"The interest from many world-renowned architects for the opportunity to design an Ismaili Center was a reminder of the global stature that an Ismaili Center, and indeed any project by the Ismaili Imamat, holds in the architectural and built environment community."
Cultural centre to "elevate city's architectural landscape"
Few details have been revealed about Moussavi's design but it will likely to follow the principles of the community's buildings, which aim to protect the core values of the Ismaili Muslim community. Each centre is intended to merge the principles of Islamic design with the surrounding city to make them architecturally unique.
Moussavi's design will be accompanied by gardens designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz, which also worked on Houston's Memorial Park, and the nearby Tolerance Sculptures, a monument built to celebrate diversity in the city.
Related story
Fumihiko Maki unveils Aga Khan Centre in London's King's Cross
"Ismaili Centers are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of the Ismaili community around the world," said the Ismaili Community.
"[The Center in Houston] will enrich Houston's diverse community and elevate the city's architectural landscape."
The Ismaili Center Houston marks a major development for the Ismaili community, or USA Jamat, whose origins in the states date back to 1960s. Today, there are communities in 25, with "a large presence in Texas".
Ismaili Center Houston will be second outpost in North America
While the first in the US, The Houston site will be the second in North America, following the Toronto hub, completed in 2015 by Indian firm Charles Correa Associates and local studio Moriyama & Teshima Architects.
The project shares a patch of parkland with Fumihiko Maki's Aga Khan Museum, which showcases a collection of art and artefacts that charts a history of Muslim civilisations over the last 1,000 years.
Moussavi developed acclaim in the architecturally industry as the co-founder of the now-defunct Foreign Office Architects – the studio she founded in 1993 with her ex-husband Alejandro Zaera-Polo. She established her eponymous office in 2011, and has completed projects including the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and Victoria Beckham's London boutique.
Farshid Moussavi to design first Ismaili Center in the USA
Eleanor Gibson
Iranian-born British architect Farshid Moussavi has been selected ahead of Rem Koolhaas, Jeanne Gang and David Chipperfield to design an Ismaili cultural centre in Houston, Texas.
The London-based architect will work with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, Hanif Kara of structural engineering firm AKT II and Paul Westlake of design firm DLR Group to design the Ismaili Center for an 11-acre (4.5-hectare) site in downtown Houston.
Spearheaded by Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, the centre will be the first dedicated to the Shia Ismaili Muslim community in the United States, and the seventh worldwide, following outposts in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Toronto, British Columbia and Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan.
Farshid Moussavi "honoured" to design Ismaili Center Houston
Moussavi said she was honoured to work on the project: "It will bring Houston's diverse communities together in a unique space for cultural, educational and social activities."
"Our team brings a broad perspective for the Ismaili Center, with diverse skills and experience in international practice, scholarly research, multidisciplinary thinking and delivering cultural projects successfully in the United States," she added.
Ismaili Centre by Charles Correa
The Houston site will be the second in North America, following the Toronto hub, which was completed in 2015
Moussavi's proposal, for a plot that runs along the city's waterway, was selected as the winner of a competition on 5 February 2019, ahead of Koolhaas, Gang and Chipperfield.
"The evaluation and selection of these architects was both intense and enlightening," said the president of the Ismaili Council for the USA, Barkat Fazal.
"The interest from many world-renowned architects for the opportunity to design an Ismaili Center was a reminder of the global stature that an Ismaili Center, and indeed any project by the Ismaili Imamat, holds in the architectural and built environment community."
Cultural centre to "elevate city's architectural landscape"
Few details have been revealed about Moussavi's design but it will likely to follow the principles of the community's buildings, which aim to protect the core values of the Ismaili Muslim community. Each centre is intended to merge the principles of Islamic design with the surrounding city to make them architecturally unique.
Moussavi's design will be accompanied by gardens designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz, which also worked on Houston's Memorial Park, and the nearby Tolerance Sculptures, a monument built to celebrate diversity in the city.
Related story
Fumihiko Maki unveils Aga Khan Centre in London's King's Cross
"Ismaili Centers are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of the Ismaili community around the world," said the Ismaili Community.
"[The Center in Houston] will enrich Houston's diverse community and elevate the city's architectural landscape."
The Ismaili Center Houston marks a major development for the Ismaili community, or USA Jamat, whose origins in the states date back to 1960s. Today, there are communities in 25, with "a large presence in Texas".
Ismaili Center Houston will be second outpost in North America
While the first in the US, The Houston site will be the second in North America, following the Toronto hub, completed in 2015 by Indian firm Charles Correa Associates and local studio Moriyama & Teshima Architects.
The project shares a patch of parkland with Fumihiko Maki's Aga Khan Museum, which showcases a collection of art and artefacts that charts a history of Muslim civilisations over the last 1,000 years.
Moussavi developed acclaim in the architecturally industry as the co-founder of the now-defunct Foreign Office Architects – the studio she founded in 1993 with her ex-husband Alejandro Zaera-Polo. She established her eponymous office in 2011, and has completed projects including the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and Victoria Beckham's London boutique.
World-renowned architects to design the Ismaili Center Houston
The Ismaili Center Houston will be located on an 11-acre site along the city’s main waterway, the Buffalo Bayou.
UK-based architect Farshid Moussavi has been selected to lead the design of the Ismaili Center, Houston — the first Ismaili Center in the USA.
The Center’s design team also includes Thomas L. Woltz, of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects; Hanif Kara, co-founder of structural engineering firm AKT II and professor in practice, Harvard Graduate School of Design; and Paul Westlake of DLR Group, who leads the firm’s Global Cultural+Performing Arts Studio, as the architect of record.
The selection of architects follows the announcement made by Mawlana Hazar Imam during his Diamond Jubilee visit to the USA in March 2018 to build a high-profile Center in Houston.
The Jamat across the United States expressed gratitude and excitement at the possibilities and aspirations that an Ismaili Center represents for the USA and global Jamat. Ismaili Centers are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of the Ismaili community around the world. The Center in Houston will be the first in the United States, and seventh globally. It will enrich Houston’s diverse community and elevate the city’s architectural landscape.
Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner welcomed the announcement. “The Ismaili Center will be a place where Houstonians of all backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life will find engaging, thoughtful, and compassionate programs, and people. That will be in keeping with Ismaili values and the values of the Ismaili leader, the Aga Khan, who last visited Houston in March 2018. It’s fitting that the Center will be designed by a world-renowned architect who has lived, studied and worked around the world, and that the green space will be designed by a landscape architect who has already worked on a major Houston park,” he said. “This is a milestone for our city.”
Ms Moussavi’s previous projects include the acclaimed Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, USA; a three-story flagship store for Victoria Beckham in London, UK; the Yokohama International Cruise Terminal in Japan; London’s Ravensbourne College of Media and Communication; and the Torrevieja Auditorium and Madrid Carabanchel Social Housing Development, in Spain. Moussavi also served as chair of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture Master Jury in 2004 and was a member of the Award’s Steering Committee from 2005-2015.
“The evaluation and selection of these architects was both intense and enlightening. The interest from many world-renowned architects for the opportunity to design an Ismaili Center was a reminder of the global stature that an Ismaili Center, and indeed any project by the Ismaili Imamat, holds in the architectural and built environment community,” remarked Dr. Barkat Fazal, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA.
Moussavi is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she is now a professor, and has previously taught at Columbia University, Princeton University, and the University of California in Los Angeles.
Commenting on the appointment, Farshid Moussavi stated, “Our team brings a broad perspective for the Ismaili Center, with diverse skills and experience in international practice, scholarly research, multidisciplinary thinking and delivering cultural projects successfully in the United States. I am honored to partner with the Ismaili Muslim community to design the new Ismaili Center in Houston. It will bring Houston’s diverse communities together in a unique space for cultural, educational and social activities.”
Houston is among the most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas in the United States and ranks first in total park acreage among major US cities. Green spaces and the external environment have comprised key elements of Ismaili Centers globally. Renowned landscape architect Thomas L. Woltz, who will design the green space surrounding the new Center, was named the Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal Magazine in 2013. His works include the design of Hudson Yards in New York, Memorial Park in Houston, and the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton, Canada.
Each Ismaili Center serves as an ambassadorial building, reflecting traditional principles of Islamic design, while incorporating contemporary elements from the society in which it is situated. The selected site in Houston will become the seventh such building — the other six are located in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto.
As expressed by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the opening of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land in 2002, “Since all that we see and do resonates on the faith, the aesthetics of the environments we build and the quality of the interactions that take place within them reverberate on our spiritual lives.” Hazar Imam went on to say “As the leader of a Muslim community, and particularly one that now resides in twenty-five countries on four continents, the physical representation of Islamic values is particularly important to me. It should reflect who we are in terms of our beliefs, our cultural heritage and our relation to the needs and contexts in which we live in today’s world.”
The Ismaili community in the United States began with students arriving in the 1960s and is established today in almost every state, with a large presence in Texas. For a number of years, the USA Jamat has organized educational and cultural events in collaboration with local and state governments, universities, museums, and faith organizations, to develop greater understanding between communities.
Reflecting their centuries-old tradition of service, members of the Jamat, young and old, have worked with cities, schools, and civil society organizations to assist those in need, including during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, when over 2,500 volunteers quickly gathered to help their affected friends and neighbors in the greater Houston area.
Set against the backdrop of the iconic Tolerance Statues, which were made possible in part through a gift from Mawlana Hazar Imam to the city of Houston, and along the city’s main waterway, the Buffalo Bayou, the 11-acre site serves as an ideal location for the first Ismaili Center in the USA, one that will make a significant contribution to the city of Houston, the state of Texas, and the wider United States.
Photo of the site at:
https://the.ismaili/news/world-renowned ... er-houston
The Ismaili Center Houston will be located on an 11-acre site along the city’s main waterway, the Buffalo Bayou.
UK-based architect Farshid Moussavi has been selected to lead the design of the Ismaili Center, Houston — the first Ismaili Center in the USA.
The Center’s design team also includes Thomas L. Woltz, of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects; Hanif Kara, co-founder of structural engineering firm AKT II and professor in practice, Harvard Graduate School of Design; and Paul Westlake of DLR Group, who leads the firm’s Global Cultural+Performing Arts Studio, as the architect of record.
The selection of architects follows the announcement made by Mawlana Hazar Imam during his Diamond Jubilee visit to the USA in March 2018 to build a high-profile Center in Houston.
The Jamat across the United States expressed gratitude and excitement at the possibilities and aspirations that an Ismaili Center represents for the USA and global Jamat. Ismaili Centers are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of the Ismaili community around the world. The Center in Houston will be the first in the United States, and seventh globally. It will enrich Houston’s diverse community and elevate the city’s architectural landscape.
Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner welcomed the announcement. “The Ismaili Center will be a place where Houstonians of all backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life will find engaging, thoughtful, and compassionate programs, and people. That will be in keeping with Ismaili values and the values of the Ismaili leader, the Aga Khan, who last visited Houston in March 2018. It’s fitting that the Center will be designed by a world-renowned architect who has lived, studied and worked around the world, and that the green space will be designed by a landscape architect who has already worked on a major Houston park,” he said. “This is a milestone for our city.”
Ms Moussavi’s previous projects include the acclaimed Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, USA; a three-story flagship store for Victoria Beckham in London, UK; the Yokohama International Cruise Terminal in Japan; London’s Ravensbourne College of Media and Communication; and the Torrevieja Auditorium and Madrid Carabanchel Social Housing Development, in Spain. Moussavi also served as chair of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture Master Jury in 2004 and was a member of the Award’s Steering Committee from 2005-2015.
“The evaluation and selection of these architects was both intense and enlightening. The interest from many world-renowned architects for the opportunity to design an Ismaili Center was a reminder of the global stature that an Ismaili Center, and indeed any project by the Ismaili Imamat, holds in the architectural and built environment community,” remarked Dr. Barkat Fazal, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA.
Moussavi is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she is now a professor, and has previously taught at Columbia University, Princeton University, and the University of California in Los Angeles.
Commenting on the appointment, Farshid Moussavi stated, “Our team brings a broad perspective for the Ismaili Center, with diverse skills and experience in international practice, scholarly research, multidisciplinary thinking and delivering cultural projects successfully in the United States. I am honored to partner with the Ismaili Muslim community to design the new Ismaili Center in Houston. It will bring Houston’s diverse communities together in a unique space for cultural, educational and social activities.”
Houston is among the most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas in the United States and ranks first in total park acreage among major US cities. Green spaces and the external environment have comprised key elements of Ismaili Centers globally. Renowned landscape architect Thomas L. Woltz, who will design the green space surrounding the new Center, was named the Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal Magazine in 2013. His works include the design of Hudson Yards in New York, Memorial Park in Houston, and the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton, Canada.
Each Ismaili Center serves as an ambassadorial building, reflecting traditional principles of Islamic design, while incorporating contemporary elements from the society in which it is situated. The selected site in Houston will become the seventh such building — the other six are located in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto.
As expressed by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the opening of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land in 2002, “Since all that we see and do resonates on the faith, the aesthetics of the environments we build and the quality of the interactions that take place within them reverberate on our spiritual lives.” Hazar Imam went on to say “As the leader of a Muslim community, and particularly one that now resides in twenty-five countries on four continents, the physical representation of Islamic values is particularly important to me. It should reflect who we are in terms of our beliefs, our cultural heritage and our relation to the needs and contexts in which we live in today’s world.”
The Ismaili community in the United States began with students arriving in the 1960s and is established today in almost every state, with a large presence in Texas. For a number of years, the USA Jamat has organized educational and cultural events in collaboration with local and state governments, universities, museums, and faith organizations, to develop greater understanding between communities.
Reflecting their centuries-old tradition of service, members of the Jamat, young and old, have worked with cities, schools, and civil society organizations to assist those in need, including during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, when over 2,500 volunteers quickly gathered to help their affected friends and neighbors in the greater Houston area.
Set against the backdrop of the iconic Tolerance Statues, which were made possible in part through a gift from Mawlana Hazar Imam to the city of Houston, and along the city’s main waterway, the Buffalo Bayou, the 11-acre site serves as an ideal location for the first Ismaili Center in the USA, one that will make a significant contribution to the city of Houston, the state of Texas, and the wider United States.
Photo of the site at:
https://the.ismaili/news/world-renowned ... er-houston
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cynthiales ... 6a9fc65a7e
Apr 2, 2019, 02:33pm
Project To Build Ismaili Center Houston, First in U.S., Gains Its Design Team
Cynthia Lescalleet, Contributor, Real Estate - I profile intriguing real estate projects in and around Houston.
A prime, vacant parcel near Houston's Buffalo Bayou and sited just west of downtown is slated for the first Ismaili Center in the U.S., joining a series of six other such facilities operating around the world.
The 11-acre Houston tract, currently appraised at $30.3 million, was purchased in 2006 by the Aga Khan Foundation as the future site for the center. As mandated, its role is to be a place of peace, prayer, hope, humility and brotherhood, a project update says.
Long-planned, the Houston project recently entered the design phase following an international competition that netted London-based architect Farshid Moussavi in collaboration with Paul Westlake of DLR Group as architect of record and landscape architect Thomas L. Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz. NBW is also working on redevelopment of Houston's Memorial Park and Rothko Chapel campus.
Built over the past four decades, previously completed Ismaili centers are located in London, Vancouver, Toronto, Lisbon, Dubai and Dushanbe.
In Houston, plans for the campus include spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, and spiritual contemplation for the diverse Ismaili community — as well as the city's multi-cultural one, thus "fostering an appreciation of pluralism," the design team announcement says.
Although few project details have been released, the center in Houston is expected to include a Jamatkhana, which is a place for worship, with additional spaces to accommodate the center's "ambassadorial" roles, meaning outreach, knowledge and fellowship between people of all faiths and walks of life.
A construction start has not been determined for the project, notes Omar Samji, a volunteer with the Ismaili Council in Houston.
The site slopes toward Buffalo Bayou, which has come out of its banks many times over the years, most recently during Hurricane Harvey.
While flooding from that 2017 storm did affect lower-elevations of the center's site, Samji says, it did not delay the project. Rather it provided useful data for planning flood management and mitigation and landscaping.
Apr 2, 2019, 02:33pm
Project To Build Ismaili Center Houston, First in U.S., Gains Its Design Team
Cynthia Lescalleet, Contributor, Real Estate - I profile intriguing real estate projects in and around Houston.
A prime, vacant parcel near Houston's Buffalo Bayou and sited just west of downtown is slated for the first Ismaili Center in the U.S., joining a series of six other such facilities operating around the world.
The 11-acre Houston tract, currently appraised at $30.3 million, was purchased in 2006 by the Aga Khan Foundation as the future site for the center. As mandated, its role is to be a place of peace, prayer, hope, humility and brotherhood, a project update says.
Long-planned, the Houston project recently entered the design phase following an international competition that netted London-based architect Farshid Moussavi in collaboration with Paul Westlake of DLR Group as architect of record and landscape architect Thomas L. Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz. NBW is also working on redevelopment of Houston's Memorial Park and Rothko Chapel campus.
Built over the past four decades, previously completed Ismaili centers are located in London, Vancouver, Toronto, Lisbon, Dubai and Dushanbe.
In Houston, plans for the campus include spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, and spiritual contemplation for the diverse Ismaili community — as well as the city's multi-cultural one, thus "fostering an appreciation of pluralism," the design team announcement says.
Although few project details have been released, the center in Houston is expected to include a Jamatkhana, which is a place for worship, with additional spaces to accommodate the center's "ambassadorial" roles, meaning outreach, knowledge and fellowship between people of all faiths and walks of life.
A construction start has not been determined for the project, notes Omar Samji, a volunteer with the Ismaili Council in Houston.
The site slopes toward Buffalo Bayou, which has come out of its banks many times over the years, most recently during Hurricane Harvey.
While flooding from that 2017 storm did affect lower-elevations of the center's site, Samji says, it did not delay the project. Rather it provided useful data for planning flood management and mitigation and landscaping.
https://the.ismaili/news/mawlana-hazar- ... uston-site
Mawlana Hazar Imam toured the site of the Ismaili Center Houston yesterday, 22 November, alongside the Center’s design team and the leadership of the USA Jamat. During his trip, Mawlana Hazar Imam also met with City of Houston Mayor the Honorable Sylvester Turner.
The Ismaili Center Houston will be the seventh Center, joining others in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto. Ismaili Centers serve to reflect, illustrate and represent the Ismaili community’s intellectual and spiritual understanding of Islam, its social conscience, its organization, its discipline, its forward outlook, and its positive attitude towards the societies in which it lives. They are symbolic markers of the permanent presence of the Ismaili community, and are a symbol of the confluence between the spiritual and the secular in Islam.
During Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee visit to the United States in March 2018, he graciously confirmed his intent to build the Ismaili Center Houston. In February of this year, another milestone announcement was made confirming Farshid Moussavi as the building architect and Thomas Woltz as the landscape architect, both of whom joined Hazar Imam for the site tour this week.
Earlier this year, Mayor Turner said, “The Ismaili Center will be a place where Houstonians of all backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life will find engaging, thoughtful, and compassionate programs, and people. That will be in keeping with Ismaili values and the values of the Ismaili leader, the Aga Khan, who last visited Houston in March 2018. It’s fitting that the Center will be designed by a world-renowned architect who has lived, studied and worked around the world, and that the green space will be designed by a landscape architect who has already worked on a major Houston park.”
President of the Ismaili Council for the United States, Al-Karim Alidina, said, “We are most grateful for Hazar Imam’s visit to progress this milestone project. We hope that the Ismaili Center Houston will be a marker of the permanency of the US Jamat, a bridge to civil society and a symbol of hope and pluralism.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam toured the site of the Ismaili Center Houston yesterday, 22 November, alongside the Center’s design team and the leadership of the USA Jamat. During his trip, Mawlana Hazar Imam also met with City of Houston Mayor the Honorable Sylvester Turner.
The Ismaili Center Houston will be the seventh Center, joining others in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto. Ismaili Centers serve to reflect, illustrate and represent the Ismaili community’s intellectual and spiritual understanding of Islam, its social conscience, its organization, its discipline, its forward outlook, and its positive attitude towards the societies in which it lives. They are symbolic markers of the permanent presence of the Ismaili community, and are a symbol of the confluence between the spiritual and the secular in Islam.
During Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee visit to the United States in March 2018, he graciously confirmed his intent to build the Ismaili Center Houston. In February of this year, another milestone announcement was made confirming Farshid Moussavi as the building architect and Thomas Woltz as the landscape architect, both of whom joined Hazar Imam for the site tour this week.
Earlier this year, Mayor Turner said, “The Ismaili Center will be a place where Houstonians of all backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life will find engaging, thoughtful, and compassionate programs, and people. That will be in keeping with Ismaili values and the values of the Ismaili leader, the Aga Khan, who last visited Houston in March 2018. It’s fitting that the Center will be designed by a world-renowned architect who has lived, studied and worked around the world, and that the green space will be designed by a landscape architect who has already worked on a major Houston park.”
President of the Ismaili Council for the United States, Al-Karim Alidina, said, “We are most grateful for Hazar Imam’s visit to progress this milestone project. We hope that the Ismaili Center Houston will be a marker of the permanency of the US Jamat, a bridge to civil society and a symbol of hope and pluralism.”
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
THE ISMAILI CENTER HOUSTON NEARS COMPLETION
The south elevation of the Ismaili Center Houston, its stone-screen façade mirrored in the reflecting fountain.Salina Kassam
A New Landmark in Houston Across from Buffalo Bayou Park Along the Allen Parkway Corridor
The Ismaili Center Houston is preparing for its much-anticipated opening later this year. Designed by internationally renowned architect Farshid Moussavi, the Center represents both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a meaningful addition to Houston’s cultural landscape. It will offer a welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can learn, engage, and connect.
Final preparations are underway, including the completion of dramatic veranda spaces and the landscaping of nine acres of gardens by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. This marks the conclusion of a journey that began in 2006, when His Highness the Aga Khan IV (1936–2025), the then spiritual leader of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, selected Houston as the site of the first Ismaili Center in the United States. It joins other Centers in London (1985), Vancouver (1985), Lisbon (1998), Dubai (2008), Dushanbe (2009), and Toronto (2014).
Widely respected for his passion for the transformative power of architecture and landscape, the late Prince Karim Aga Khan personally guided the project’s design details. Following his passing earlier this year, its completion has been entrusted to his eldest son and successor, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V.
A Place of Faith and Cultural Exchange
The Ismaili Center Houston will serve as both a space of prayer and a venue for dialogue, culture, and education. It reflects the Ismaili community’s enduring commitment to fostering understanding among diverse peoples, communities, and faiths.
For Houston, the Center will reinforce the city’s reputation as a cosmopolitan, forward-thinking cultural capital, complementing nearby institutions such as The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, Asia Society Texas, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
“The Center’s aim is to foster mutual understanding between different communities and cultures: to invite Ismailis and non-Ismailis to connect through shared events such as lectures, conferences, music recitals, and art exhibitions that nurture curiosity, celebrate difference, and encourage conversation,” said Omar Samji, spokesperson for the Ismaili Center.
An Architectural Landmark
“The Ismaili Center Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange. Its design, rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate, combines open gathering spaces, light-filled spaces, and intricate craftsmanship to create a serene, inclusive environment that will endure for generations,” said Farshid Moussavi, Principal of Farshid Moussavi Architecture.
At the heart of the 150,000-square-foot building is a five-story atrium, flanked by two side atriums that connect to soaring eivans (Persian for verandas). While the atriums celebrate indoor gatherings, the eivans allow light to flood the interior from all sides. Architectural surfaces are adorned with geometric patterns inspired by Islamic traditions.
Moussavi’s design, developed in partnership with AKT II (structural engineering) and DLR Group (architect and engineer of record), is a modern expression of history and tradition.
“The Ismaili Center strikes a beautiful balance between past wisdom and future aspirations, traditions and modern technologies, the local fabric of Houston and the global Ismaili community,” said Emily Moore, AIA, Principal and Senior Designer at DLR Group.
The Center’s cultural and civic facilities will include an exhibition gallery, a black box theater, banquet halls, meeting rooms, educational spaces, a café, and a prayer hall. These features ensure the Center will be a vibrant hub for both spiritual reflection and civic life.
Construction is led by McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., known for delivering many of Houston’s cultural landmarks. To achieve the project’s intricate architectural details, McCarthy implemented advanced construction strategies, including self-performing all architectural concrete work.
Gardens Rooted in Houston
The 150,000-square-foot structure is set on an 11-acre site along Montrose Boulevard between West Dallas Street and Allen Parkway, directly across from Buffalo Bayou Park and near Tolerance, a public artwork by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa that celebrates unity in diversity.
“The Ismaili Center gardens reinterpret Islamic landscape traditions while grounding the Center in Texas’s diverse ecologies and addressing flood risks,” said Thomas Woltz of NBW.
The gardens create a contemplative oasis in the heart of Houston’s urban core, complementing other notable NBW projects at Memorial Park, Rothko Chapel, and Rice University.
“From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special. Achieving this level of quality requires a bold client, the right team, and extraordinary collaboration,” said Hanif Kara, OBE, Director of AKT II.
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/the-isma ... completion
The south elevation of the Ismaili Center Houston, its stone-screen façade mirrored in the reflecting fountain.Salina Kassam
A New Landmark in Houston Across from Buffalo Bayou Park Along the Allen Parkway Corridor
The Ismaili Center Houston is preparing for its much-anticipated opening later this year. Designed by internationally renowned architect Farshid Moussavi, the Center represents both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a meaningful addition to Houston’s cultural landscape. It will offer a welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can learn, engage, and connect.
Final preparations are underway, including the completion of dramatic veranda spaces and the landscaping of nine acres of gardens by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. This marks the conclusion of a journey that began in 2006, when His Highness the Aga Khan IV (1936–2025), the then spiritual leader of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, selected Houston as the site of the first Ismaili Center in the United States. It joins other Centers in London (1985), Vancouver (1985), Lisbon (1998), Dubai (2008), Dushanbe (2009), and Toronto (2014).
Widely respected for his passion for the transformative power of architecture and landscape, the late Prince Karim Aga Khan personally guided the project’s design details. Following his passing earlier this year, its completion has been entrusted to his eldest son and successor, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V.
A Place of Faith and Cultural Exchange
The Ismaili Center Houston will serve as both a space of prayer and a venue for dialogue, culture, and education. It reflects the Ismaili community’s enduring commitment to fostering understanding among diverse peoples, communities, and faiths.
For Houston, the Center will reinforce the city’s reputation as a cosmopolitan, forward-thinking cultural capital, complementing nearby institutions such as The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, Asia Society Texas, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
“The Center’s aim is to foster mutual understanding between different communities and cultures: to invite Ismailis and non-Ismailis to connect through shared events such as lectures, conferences, music recitals, and art exhibitions that nurture curiosity, celebrate difference, and encourage conversation,” said Omar Samji, spokesperson for the Ismaili Center.
An Architectural Landmark
“The Ismaili Center Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange. Its design, rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate, combines open gathering spaces, light-filled spaces, and intricate craftsmanship to create a serene, inclusive environment that will endure for generations,” said Farshid Moussavi, Principal of Farshid Moussavi Architecture.
At the heart of the 150,000-square-foot building is a five-story atrium, flanked by two side atriums that connect to soaring eivans (Persian for verandas). While the atriums celebrate indoor gatherings, the eivans allow light to flood the interior from all sides. Architectural surfaces are adorned with geometric patterns inspired by Islamic traditions.
Moussavi’s design, developed in partnership with AKT II (structural engineering) and DLR Group (architect and engineer of record), is a modern expression of history and tradition.
“The Ismaili Center strikes a beautiful balance between past wisdom and future aspirations, traditions and modern technologies, the local fabric of Houston and the global Ismaili community,” said Emily Moore, AIA, Principal and Senior Designer at DLR Group.
The Center’s cultural and civic facilities will include an exhibition gallery, a black box theater, banquet halls, meeting rooms, educational spaces, a café, and a prayer hall. These features ensure the Center will be a vibrant hub for both spiritual reflection and civic life.
Construction is led by McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., known for delivering many of Houston’s cultural landmarks. To achieve the project’s intricate architectural details, McCarthy implemented advanced construction strategies, including self-performing all architectural concrete work.
Gardens Rooted in Houston
The 150,000-square-foot structure is set on an 11-acre site along Montrose Boulevard between West Dallas Street and Allen Parkway, directly across from Buffalo Bayou Park and near Tolerance, a public artwork by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa that celebrates unity in diversity.
“The Ismaili Center gardens reinterpret Islamic landscape traditions while grounding the Center in Texas’s diverse ecologies and addressing flood risks,” said Thomas Woltz of NBW.
The gardens create a contemplative oasis in the heart of Houston’s urban core, complementing other notable NBW projects at Memorial Park, Rothko Chapel, and Rice University.
“From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special. Achieving this level of quality requires a bold client, the right team, and extraordinary collaboration,” said Hanif Kara, OBE, Director of AKT II.
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/the-isma ... completion
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
The New Houston Ismaili Centre -
Stats - 11 acres land, 2 acres main building- some of it 5 floors, includes jk main floor,
2nd floor - 10 classrooms, library and outdoor classroom areas,
4-5 floor council offices and top floor executive meeting areas.
There are coffee shops and eating choices,
Outside- 9 different gardens
Disaster management-south garden can accommodate flooding in the green spaces to mitigate other places from flooding. Later the walkways can be power washed post flooding.
Tour- 4 different tours will be offered
A) JK tours and spaces
B) Garden tours- 800 trees and plant materials
C) Architectural tours
4) Art tours
The occupancy permits are expected in two weeks during which time all the remaining defects, furnishings, Art and planting material should be finished.
Mawlana Hazar Imam has been requested to open officially the Center with dignitaries expected from all over USA.
Watch for special coverage on this auspicious occasion of the 1st Ismaili Centre Opening in Houston, Texas
Stats - 11 acres land, 2 acres main building- some of it 5 floors, includes jk main floor,
2nd floor - 10 classrooms, library and outdoor classroom areas,
4-5 floor council offices and top floor executive meeting areas.
There are coffee shops and eating choices,
Outside- 9 different gardens
Disaster management-south garden can accommodate flooding in the green spaces to mitigate other places from flooding. Later the walkways can be power washed post flooding.
Tour- 4 different tours will be offered
A) JK tours and spaces
B) Garden tours- 800 trees and plant materials
C) Architectural tours
4) Art tours
The occupancy permits are expected in two weeks during which time all the remaining defects, furnishings, Art and planting material should be finished.
Mawlana Hazar Imam has been requested to open officially the Center with dignitaries expected from all over USA.
Watch for special coverage on this auspicious occasion of the 1st Ismaili Centre Opening in Houston, Texas
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Photos at: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... &shem=isst
Visit: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt ... kBegQIABAc
The Ismaili Centre Houston nears completion.
The Ismaili Centre Houston is preparing for its much-anticipated opening later this year. Designed by architect Farshid Moussavi, the Centre represents both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a meaningful addition to Houston’s cultural landscape.
Farshid Moussavi said; “The Ismaili Centre Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange,”.
Moussavi’s design, developed in partnership with AKT II, Hilson Moran and DLR Group, is a modern expression of history and tradition, "rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate".
Hanif Kara OBE, Director of AKT II, said: “From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special.”
Once complete, the Centre will be a vibrant hub for both spiritual reflection and civic life.
Follow the link in comments to read more.
: Salina Kassam, Abbas Yasin, Assad Yasin & Abizer Yasin
Aga Khan Development Network | Farshid Moussavi Architecture | McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. | Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects | DLR Group | Hilson Moran | Josef Gartner | Kinetica Group
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aktengin ... 74624-9Ydz
Visit: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt ... kBegQIABAc
The Ismaili Centre Houston nears completion.
The Ismaili Centre Houston is preparing for its much-anticipated opening later this year. Designed by architect Farshid Moussavi, the Centre represents both a milestone for the Ismaili Muslim community and a meaningful addition to Houston’s cultural landscape.
Farshid Moussavi said; “The Ismaili Centre Houston embodies His Highness the Aga Khan’s vision of a space that welcomes all, fostering dialogue, learning, and cultural exchange,”.
Moussavi’s design, developed in partnership with AKT II, Hilson Moran and DLR Group, is a modern expression of history and tradition, "rooted in Islamic traditions yet responsive to Houston’s climate".
Hanif Kara OBE, Director of AKT II, said: “From the beginning, the bar was set very high. When you consider the intent and purpose of this project – a 100-year building – it’s very difficult not to see it as something special.”
Once complete, the Centre will be a vibrant hub for both spiritual reflection and civic life.
Follow the link in comments to read more.
: Salina Kassam, Abbas Yasin, Assad Yasin & Abizer YasinAga Khan Development Network | Farshid Moussavi Architecture | McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. | Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects | DLR Group | Hilson Moran | Josef Gartner | Kinetica Group
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aktengin ... 74624-9Ydz
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Ismaili Center Houston
Photos - Slide display at: https://www.farshidmoussavi.com/fmaproj ... e%20values
Situated on Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard, the Ismaili Center is commissioned by His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network.
Dedicated to advancing pluralism, public understanding and civic outreach, the Center in Houston joins its counterparts established in London (UK), Lisbon (Portugal), Dubai (UAE), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Vancouver and Toronto (Canada). Each of these buildings – designed by architects of international standing and multi-cultural sensitivity – is reflective of their own geographies and contexts. As ambassadorial buildings around the world, they are symbolic of the Ismaili community’s presence, pluralistic outlook and ethos of volunteering. The Ismaili Center Houston, with its openness of both purpose and structure, will seek to express these values. Speaking in Sugar Land, Texas in 2002, His Highness observed that “since all that we see and do resonates on the faith, the aesthetics of the environments we build and the quality of the interactions that take place within them reverberate on our spiritual lives.”
The Ismaili Center Houston will be a venue for educational, cultural and social events, to encourage understanding and facilitate the sharing of perspectives across peoples of diverse backgrounds, faiths and traditions. It will aim to build bridges through intellectual exchange by hosting concerts, recitals, plays, performances, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, conversations, book launches and community gatherings. The building will also provide space for quiet contemplation and for prayer, as well as serve as the administrative headquarters of the Ismaili community in the USA.
In presenting the design, Farshid Moussavi, internationally acclaimed architect, who also designed the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, observed: “What made this project especially rewarding was the close alignment between the aspirations of the client and architect. What made it especially challenging was my awareness of the rigorous standards that His Highness the Aga Khan has established for architecture! We have tried to work with Islamic design philosophy, and celebrate its singularity and unique qualities as well as the features it has in common with Western design, so that the building, both through its fabric and through the way it is used, would act as a symbol of dialogue.”
The building is designed with a compact footprint, leaving large portions of the site to be used as gardens. Given the frequently hot and humid climate of Houston and the prominence of the site in the city, it is designed with a tripartite form with each of its volumes hosting a soaring eivan (veranda) to enable social and cultural gatherings to occur outdoors throughout the year. The eivans are supported by forty-nine slender columns reminiscent of those used in Persepolis and seventeenth century palaces in Isfahan, Persia. In being open on all sides and visible from all approaches to the site, the eivans will make the Ismaili Center open and inviting in every direction. At night, they will transform it to a beacon of light along Montrose Boulevard and Allen Parkway.
The Center’s design, contemporary in its expression, is reflective of a historically rooted, rich architectural heritage. It combines contemporary architectural technology – its light steel structure – with traditional Persian forms and ornament, including ceramic mosaics and screens drawn from Islamicate traditions around the world. Its design for sustainability includes assuring enhanced energy performance and longevity and durability of materials, by encasing exposed steel with concrete for a 100-year lifecycle, and using stone for the building’s exterior walls. Conceived as a tapestry in stone, the exterior walls will transition from solid areas to porous screens that will provide shade and privacy, and from flat surfaces to deep alcoves to permit shady repose fronting the gardens. The building exterior will therefore be defined by simplicity of form, openness, and an abstract decorative character.
The building interior will include three atriums that will act as common, non-exclusive flexible spaces between rooms dedicated to specific events. Each is located adjacent to an eivan to bring in natural light and views of the sky to the heart of the building. The central atrium’s stepped structure clad in ceramic screens, celebrates the heritage of the cupola dating back to 3000 BCE, dominant in both the architecture of the Sasanian period in Persia and the Christian buildings of the Byzantine empire. The west and east atriums will give access to a theater, a large hall and learning spaces.
The Center’s landscaped gardens will provide a sense of serenity and peace, offering a respite from its urban surroundings. The gardens will include tree canopies, fountains, shaded footpaths, flowerbeds, lawns and walkways. These will be spaces of solace, providing for the rejuvenation of the mind and the spirit.
Photos - Slide display at: https://www.farshidmoussavi.com/fmaproj ... e%20values
Situated on Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard, the Ismaili Center is commissioned by His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network.
Dedicated to advancing pluralism, public understanding and civic outreach, the Center in Houston joins its counterparts established in London (UK), Lisbon (Portugal), Dubai (UAE), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Vancouver and Toronto (Canada). Each of these buildings – designed by architects of international standing and multi-cultural sensitivity – is reflective of their own geographies and contexts. As ambassadorial buildings around the world, they are symbolic of the Ismaili community’s presence, pluralistic outlook and ethos of volunteering. The Ismaili Center Houston, with its openness of both purpose and structure, will seek to express these values. Speaking in Sugar Land, Texas in 2002, His Highness observed that “since all that we see and do resonates on the faith, the aesthetics of the environments we build and the quality of the interactions that take place within them reverberate on our spiritual lives.”
The Ismaili Center Houston will be a venue for educational, cultural and social events, to encourage understanding and facilitate the sharing of perspectives across peoples of diverse backgrounds, faiths and traditions. It will aim to build bridges through intellectual exchange by hosting concerts, recitals, plays, performances, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, conversations, book launches and community gatherings. The building will also provide space for quiet contemplation and for prayer, as well as serve as the administrative headquarters of the Ismaili community in the USA.
In presenting the design, Farshid Moussavi, internationally acclaimed architect, who also designed the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, observed: “What made this project especially rewarding was the close alignment between the aspirations of the client and architect. What made it especially challenging was my awareness of the rigorous standards that His Highness the Aga Khan has established for architecture! We have tried to work with Islamic design philosophy, and celebrate its singularity and unique qualities as well as the features it has in common with Western design, so that the building, both through its fabric and through the way it is used, would act as a symbol of dialogue.”
The building is designed with a compact footprint, leaving large portions of the site to be used as gardens. Given the frequently hot and humid climate of Houston and the prominence of the site in the city, it is designed with a tripartite form with each of its volumes hosting a soaring eivan (veranda) to enable social and cultural gatherings to occur outdoors throughout the year. The eivans are supported by forty-nine slender columns reminiscent of those used in Persepolis and seventeenth century palaces in Isfahan, Persia. In being open on all sides and visible from all approaches to the site, the eivans will make the Ismaili Center open and inviting in every direction. At night, they will transform it to a beacon of light along Montrose Boulevard and Allen Parkway.
The Center’s design, contemporary in its expression, is reflective of a historically rooted, rich architectural heritage. It combines contemporary architectural technology – its light steel structure – with traditional Persian forms and ornament, including ceramic mosaics and screens drawn from Islamicate traditions around the world. Its design for sustainability includes assuring enhanced energy performance and longevity and durability of materials, by encasing exposed steel with concrete for a 100-year lifecycle, and using stone for the building’s exterior walls. Conceived as a tapestry in stone, the exterior walls will transition from solid areas to porous screens that will provide shade and privacy, and from flat surfaces to deep alcoves to permit shady repose fronting the gardens. The building exterior will therefore be defined by simplicity of form, openness, and an abstract decorative character.
The building interior will include three atriums that will act as common, non-exclusive flexible spaces between rooms dedicated to specific events. Each is located adjacent to an eivan to bring in natural light and views of the sky to the heart of the building. The central atrium’s stepped structure clad in ceramic screens, celebrates the heritage of the cupola dating back to 3000 BCE, dominant in both the architecture of the Sasanian period in Persia and the Christian buildings of the Byzantine empire. The west and east atriums will give access to a theater, a large hall and learning spaces.
The Center’s landscaped gardens will provide a sense of serenity and peace, offering a respite from its urban surroundings. The gardens will include tree canopies, fountains, shaded footpaths, flowerbeds, lawns and walkways. These will be spaces of solace, providing for the rejuvenation of the mind and the spirit.
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Submit Video http://bit.ly/jk-memories
As we anticipate the opening of the first Ismaili Center in the United States, let's reflect on the role that Jamatkhana has played in our lives. Share a short video of your favorite Jamatkhana memory or your hopes for The Ismaili Center
Record your video reflection horizontally and submit via the button above by Friday, October 24, 2025.
Please record one video for each prompt you choose:
1. My Jamatkhana Memories:
- Share a favorite memory from your childhood Jamatkhana.
- Describe a time when being in Jamatkhana helped you find peace, strength, or clarity.
- Reflect on a time when you felt a deep sense of togetherness with the Jamat, such as during a special gathering or Jamati event.
- Describe a meaningful exchange or act of kindness that made you feel supported by the Jamat.
2. My Aspirations for the first Ismaili Center in the United States:
- How do you envision this space encouraging dialogue, lifelong learning, and spiritual growth?
- What do you wish for future generations to experience in this center?
- What spaces are you most excited about exploring at The Ismaili Center?
3. My Feelings In One Word:
Share a ONE-WORD video expressing how you feel about The Ismaili Center
Examples: "Inspired." "Hopeful." "Grateful."
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/memories-milestones
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
2025, Nov 6: Live Broadcast of the Inauguration of the Ismaili Center Houson.
Webcast on that day, Live on ismaili.net main page.
Webcast on that day, Live on ismaili.net main page.
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
*November 6, 2025* *Thursday* *Ismaili TV* *LIVE BROADCAST* *_Celebrate the Historic Inauguration of the Ismaili Center Houston_* *ON Thursday* *November 6, 2025* https://tv.ismaili/live/
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Ismaili Center Houston opening: warm wishes from Canada
Next week, the doors of the Ismaili Center Houston will open, marking a historic milestone for the Ismaili community in the United States and adding a new chapter to a global story.
From London and Lisbon to Dubai and Toronto, Ismaili Centres around the world are purpose-built spaces that reflect the Jamat’s values, aspirations, and centuries-old tradition of contributing to the societies in which we live. More than just buildings, they are places of connection — where faith and society meet through dialogue, culture, and civic engagement.
With the opening next week, Houston joins this international network of landmark institutions.
“This is a moment of immense pride not only for the Jamat in the United States but for our global Jamat,” shared President Ameerally Kassim-Lakha, President of the Ismaili Council for Canada. “On behalf of the Canadian Jamat, I offer heartfelt mubaraki to our brothers and sisters in the U.S. as they celebrate this incredible milestone.”
Since 1985, Ismaili Centres in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto have served as spaces where faith and society meet, welcoming both the Jamat and the wider public for dialogue, learning, and connection. Each centre serves as an ambassadorial hub, combining traditional Islamic design with modern architecture, symbolizing our commitment to both tradition and progress.
At the opening of the Ismaili Centre Toronto in 2014, Mawlana Shah Karim expressed that the younger generation of Ismailis were seeking “a place that would command the respect of all those who would visit it.” Today, we can point to the Ismaili Centre Toronto and the Ismaili Centre Vancouver as buildings where we can both unite in prayer and strengthen our connections with one another and society at large.
Adding a personal reflection from Canada, Rahim Lalji, a STEP teacher and long-time member of the Ismaili Centre Toronto community, shared:
“The Ismaili Centre Toronto has been a transformative space in my life — a place where faith, intellect, and community intersect. It’s where I’ve seen youth grow into leaders, where dialogue has flourished, and where I’ve felt a deep sense of belonging. As the Ismaili Centre Houston opens its doors, I hope it becomes that same kind of space for the Jamat and wider community — a source of inspiration for generations to come.”
The establishment of the Ismaili Center Houston is a celebration of the Ismaili community’s long-standing presence in the United States and the relationships it has built with civic, academic, and cultural institutions over the years. As with the centres before it, Houston’s centre will serve as a symbol of pluralism, peace, and partnership.
A highlights video of the Ismaili Centre Houston Opening Ceremonies will be shown on Friday November 7, 2025 evening at Jamatkhanas across Canada. Check back for complete details.
Daily Diamond
...I request that you view the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center, Houston, as much, much more than a place of congregation, and a home for administrative offices. The Center will be a place of peace, humility, reflection and prayer... It is already a symbol of the hopes of people who lived through change and turbulence, and have ultimately found security and opportunity here in the United States, the majority of whom have chosen the State of Texas.
Mawlana Shah Karim, Houston, Texas, June 2002
Stirrings of the Soul
The one who plants a tree of kindness
finds shelter under its branches in every season.
When the community gathers as a single shadow
no storm can tear it asunder.
The house built upon good intention
lasts longer than a palace of stone.
al-Shīrāzī
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/ ... christian/
Christianity Today November 3, 2025
Everything Is Bigger in Texas, Including Its New Islamic Center
Ken Chitwood
But it is run by one of the Muslim world’s smallest sects.
The Ismaili Center in Houston, Texas.
This is the first of a two-part series on Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. The second story will provide background on the Shiite sect and examine whether Ismaili history supports religious tolerance.
Houston is a city known for going big. America’s ninth-largest city by land area, it is home to the world’s largest medical center, one of the nation’s biggest ports, and Texas’ second-tallest building.
Houston’s Christianity is also big, hosting some of the most mega of megachurches, including Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church and the largest Episcopal church in the nation.
But it is also one of the US’s most religiously diverse cities. And another major religious space will soon join in: The Ismaili Center Houston.
Ismailis are a branch of Shiite Muslims who believe that religious authority continues through a line of imams—divinely guided descendants of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The center in Houston is owned by one of two main Ismaili branches, the Nizari Ismailis, who constitute around 1 percent of the global Muslim population.
For much of their history, Ismailis suffered persecution at the hands of other Muslim authorities. Today they wield substantial political and cultural influence, primarily through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), administered by Aga Khan V, the current imam.
Set to open November 6, it will be the first Ismaili center in the US and the seventh worldwide—with others in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe (in Tajikistan), Vancouver, and Toronto.
The Ismaili Center will certainly match Houston’s reputation for grandness—it will sit on an 11-acre site with nine gardens and a 150,000-square-foot building featuring a theater, banquet halls, a café, and place for prayer. It also aims to become a place for dialogue between Houston’s religious communities.
According to researchers from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 38 percent of Houstonians identify as Protestant, 26 percent as Catholic, and 27 percent as “nones,” people with no religious affiliation. Houston also has notable Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh populations.
Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, longtime member of the evangelical megachurch The Church Without Walls, which reports more than 20,000 members, stated that the center would be more than a “magnificent building” and would have an “impact on Houston, across Texas, and throughout the United States.”
Greater Houston has the largest Muslim population in Texas and the Southern United States, said Farah Lalani, a spokeswoman for the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern USA, including a sizeable Ismaili community. There are an estimated 35,000–40,000 Ismailis in this region, she added.
That community currently gathers at five jamatkhanas in the Houston area. Derived from the Persian word for a community gathering place, a jamatkhana is similar to a mosque but also incorporates social events and cultural activities—much as some larger churches do.
The center, however, is on another scale entirely. Omar Samji, a local lawyer and volunteer spokesman for the Ismaili Council, said that along with hosting theater productions, festivals, and art shows, the center is also part of a long-term vision for Ismailis to engage with and foster connections between faith communities. This, he said, is in line with what he found to be Houston’s reputation for being a welcoming city.
When Samji moved to Houston in 2012, he said one of the first things he noticed was a sense of connection between curious people of faith. As an Ismaili, he was heartened by Houstonians who knew what they believed and were not afraid to ask questions of others. Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, his neighbors were both inquisitive and respectful, he found.
That spirit pairs well with what Samji said is his faith’s emphasis on pluralism. Ismaili scholar Mohammed N. Miraly, in his book Faith and World: Contemporary Ismaili Social and Political Thought, described how their commitment to religious diversity originates in their interpretation of the Quran. Their previous leader, Aga Khan IV, said to be a direct descendent of Muhammad, founded the AKDN not only to improve the spiritual and material lives of his followers but also to demonstrate their ethical framework by benefiting the larger community.
Through the AKDN, Ismailis administer 1,000 development, education, and health care programs in more than 30 countries. Since 1982, this has included the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme for villages in the remote, mountainous, and ethnically diverse areas of India and northern Pakistan. Since 2000, the Aga Khan Music Programme has promoted peace through the preservation of musical heritage in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. And since 2017, the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa has produced evidence-based research into policies that work toward successful and diverse societies.
“Faith is not only confined to prayers,” said Lalani, “but expressed in how we serve.”
In Houston, this service has included disaster relief, refugee resettlement, and blood drives alongside other people of faith. Ismailis have also regularly taken part in an interfaith Thanksgiving service which features songs, dances, and prayers from numerous religious communities. Samji said he hopes the center will help Ismailis scale up these efforts and build more connections through movie screenings, festivals, and events meant to foster dialogue between religious communities in Houston.
Kim Mabry, a Methodist minister who facilitates engagement and collaboration between various faith communities at IM Houston—formerly Interfaith Ministries Houston—has seen firsthand how Ismailis have pitched in to help during the city’s frequent hurricanes and floods. Several Ismailis serve on the board of her 60-year-old organization, and she notes the potential of the center to expand future collaboration. Serving together helps transcend theological differences, she believes, and reminds people of different faiths about their shared humanity.
But some Christians have raised concerns. Houston’s conservative talk radio channel KTRH has broadcast the increased wariness many have toward Muslims. And its reporter B. D. Hobbs recently featured former president of Southern Evangelical Seminary Alex McFarland, who warned about the “growth of Islam in the West” and an alleged Muslim goal of replacing the US Constitution with sharia law.
Earlier this year in North Texas, the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), one of the largest mosques in the region, proposed a residential development of thousands of homes centered around a mosque and Islamic school. The plans drew backlash and political attention, including a law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott to challenge development’s legal framework on the grounds of discrimination. The US Department of Justice opened an investigation into potential illegal activities by the project’s organizers but ultimately closed it for lack of evidence.
Evangelical pastor Bob Roberts Jr., founder of NorthWood Church in Dallas–Fort Worth, who has spoken about his faith at EPIC, said the development was “never going to be a Muslim-only community.” But, he said, it was a potent reminder of how religious buildings can draw out extreme opinions in a time of polarization and social media half-truths.
Having worked with Ismailis over the years as part of his bridge building between Christians and Muslims, Roberts appreciates their commitment to development at the local and global levels. Christians should not fear their Muslim neighbors, he said. And they should be wary of taking cues from extreme voices online—about The Ismaili Center or any other Muslim sacred space. He encouraged evangelicals in Houston to visit Texas’ newest megaproject.
“There is no off-limits place for Christians,” Roberts said. “The gospel is bigger than any building.”
Christianity Today November 3, 2025
Everything Is Bigger in Texas, Including Its New Islamic Center
Ken Chitwood
But it is run by one of the Muslim world’s smallest sects.
The Ismaili Center in Houston, Texas.
This is the first of a two-part series on Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. The second story will provide background on the Shiite sect and examine whether Ismaili history supports religious tolerance.
Houston is a city known for going big. America’s ninth-largest city by land area, it is home to the world’s largest medical center, one of the nation’s biggest ports, and Texas’ second-tallest building.
Houston’s Christianity is also big, hosting some of the most mega of megachurches, including Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church and the largest Episcopal church in the nation.
But it is also one of the US’s most religiously diverse cities. And another major religious space will soon join in: The Ismaili Center Houston.
Ismailis are a branch of Shiite Muslims who believe that religious authority continues through a line of imams—divinely guided descendants of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The center in Houston is owned by one of two main Ismaili branches, the Nizari Ismailis, who constitute around 1 percent of the global Muslim population.
For much of their history, Ismailis suffered persecution at the hands of other Muslim authorities. Today they wield substantial political and cultural influence, primarily through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), administered by Aga Khan V, the current imam.
Set to open November 6, it will be the first Ismaili center in the US and the seventh worldwide—with others in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe (in Tajikistan), Vancouver, and Toronto.
The Ismaili Center will certainly match Houston’s reputation for grandness—it will sit on an 11-acre site with nine gardens and a 150,000-square-foot building featuring a theater, banquet halls, a café, and place for prayer. It also aims to become a place for dialogue between Houston’s religious communities.
According to researchers from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 38 percent of Houstonians identify as Protestant, 26 percent as Catholic, and 27 percent as “nones,” people with no religious affiliation. Houston also has notable Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh populations.
Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, longtime member of the evangelical megachurch The Church Without Walls, which reports more than 20,000 members, stated that the center would be more than a “magnificent building” and would have an “impact on Houston, across Texas, and throughout the United States.”
Greater Houston has the largest Muslim population in Texas and the Southern United States, said Farah Lalani, a spokeswoman for the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern USA, including a sizeable Ismaili community. There are an estimated 35,000–40,000 Ismailis in this region, she added.
That community currently gathers at five jamatkhanas in the Houston area. Derived from the Persian word for a community gathering place, a jamatkhana is similar to a mosque but also incorporates social events and cultural activities—much as some larger churches do.
The center, however, is on another scale entirely. Omar Samji, a local lawyer and volunteer spokesman for the Ismaili Council, said that along with hosting theater productions, festivals, and art shows, the center is also part of a long-term vision for Ismailis to engage with and foster connections between faith communities. This, he said, is in line with what he found to be Houston’s reputation for being a welcoming city.
When Samji moved to Houston in 2012, he said one of the first things he noticed was a sense of connection between curious people of faith. As an Ismaili, he was heartened by Houstonians who knew what they believed and were not afraid to ask questions of others. Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, his neighbors were both inquisitive and respectful, he found.
That spirit pairs well with what Samji said is his faith’s emphasis on pluralism. Ismaili scholar Mohammed N. Miraly, in his book Faith and World: Contemporary Ismaili Social and Political Thought, described how their commitment to religious diversity originates in their interpretation of the Quran. Their previous leader, Aga Khan IV, said to be a direct descendent of Muhammad, founded the AKDN not only to improve the spiritual and material lives of his followers but also to demonstrate their ethical framework by benefiting the larger community.
Through the AKDN, Ismailis administer 1,000 development, education, and health care programs in more than 30 countries. Since 1982, this has included the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme for villages in the remote, mountainous, and ethnically diverse areas of India and northern Pakistan. Since 2000, the Aga Khan Music Programme has promoted peace through the preservation of musical heritage in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. And since 2017, the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa has produced evidence-based research into policies that work toward successful and diverse societies.
“Faith is not only confined to prayers,” said Lalani, “but expressed in how we serve.”
In Houston, this service has included disaster relief, refugee resettlement, and blood drives alongside other people of faith. Ismailis have also regularly taken part in an interfaith Thanksgiving service which features songs, dances, and prayers from numerous religious communities. Samji said he hopes the center will help Ismailis scale up these efforts and build more connections through movie screenings, festivals, and events meant to foster dialogue between religious communities in Houston.
Kim Mabry, a Methodist minister who facilitates engagement and collaboration between various faith communities at IM Houston—formerly Interfaith Ministries Houston—has seen firsthand how Ismailis have pitched in to help during the city’s frequent hurricanes and floods. Several Ismailis serve on the board of her 60-year-old organization, and she notes the potential of the center to expand future collaboration. Serving together helps transcend theological differences, she believes, and reminds people of different faiths about their shared humanity.
But some Christians have raised concerns. Houston’s conservative talk radio channel KTRH has broadcast the increased wariness many have toward Muslims. And its reporter B. D. Hobbs recently featured former president of Southern Evangelical Seminary Alex McFarland, who warned about the “growth of Islam in the West” and an alleged Muslim goal of replacing the US Constitution with sharia law.
Earlier this year in North Texas, the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), one of the largest mosques in the region, proposed a residential development of thousands of homes centered around a mosque and Islamic school. The plans drew backlash and political attention, including a law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott to challenge development’s legal framework on the grounds of discrimination. The US Department of Justice opened an investigation into potential illegal activities by the project’s organizers but ultimately closed it for lack of evidence.
Evangelical pastor Bob Roberts Jr., founder of NorthWood Church in Dallas–Fort Worth, who has spoken about his faith at EPIC, said the development was “never going to be a Muslim-only community.” But, he said, it was a potent reminder of how religious buildings can draw out extreme opinions in a time of polarization and social media half-truths.
Having worked with Ismailis over the years as part of his bridge building between Christians and Muslims, Roberts appreciates their commitment to development at the local and global levels. Christians should not fear their Muslim neighbors, he said. And they should be wary of taking cues from extreme voices online—about The Ismaili Center or any other Muslim sacred space. He encouraged evangelicals in Houston to visit Texas’ newest megaproject.
“There is no off-limits place for Christians,” Roberts said. “The gospel is bigger than any building.”
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Mawlana Hazar Imam to preside over Ismaili Center Houston inauguration
After several years of planning, construction, and anticipation, the Ismaili Center in Houston is now complete and will be officially opened on Thursday 6 November 2025. Mawlana Hazar Imam and members of his family will be present at the event, which will be streamed live on The Ismaili TV. Coverage will begin at 10:15 AM local time.
The Ismaili Center in Houston will join a global network of landmark buildings commissioned by Mawlana Shah Karim over the past four decades. Other Centers are located in Dubai, Dushanbe, Lisbon, London, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Farshid Moussavi, the Ismaili Center in Houston marks a major milestone for the Jamat in the USA and a significant new addition to Houston’s cultural landscape. The Center will be an open, welcoming place where people of all backgrounds can learn, exchange ideas, and build connections.
The building will function both as a space for prayer and as a gathering place for dialogue, cultural programming, and education. Inside, visitors will find a range of diverse spaces: an exhibition gallery, a black box theater, social halls, meeting rooms, classrooms, and a café. It will also contain a Jamatkhana, the place of prayer for Ismailis. Together, these elements make the Center a vibrant hub for spiritual reflection, learning, and civic engagement.
Comprising nine acres of gardens, terraces, courts and fountains designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, the Centre’s outdoor spaces offer a peaceful retreat and a contemplative oasis in the heart of Houston’s urban core.
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/mawlana- ... auguration
After several years of planning, construction, and anticipation, the Ismaili Center in Houston is now complete and will be officially opened on Thursday 6 November 2025. Mawlana Hazar Imam and members of his family will be present at the event, which will be streamed live on The Ismaili TV. Coverage will begin at 10:15 AM local time.
The Ismaili Center in Houston will join a global network of landmark buildings commissioned by Mawlana Shah Karim over the past four decades. Other Centers are located in Dubai, Dushanbe, Lisbon, London, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Farshid Moussavi, the Ismaili Center in Houston marks a major milestone for the Jamat in the USA and a significant new addition to Houston’s cultural landscape. The Center will be an open, welcoming place where people of all backgrounds can learn, exchange ideas, and build connections.
The building will function both as a space for prayer and as a gathering place for dialogue, cultural programming, and education. Inside, visitors will find a range of diverse spaces: an exhibition gallery, a black box theater, social halls, meeting rooms, classrooms, and a café. It will also contain a Jamatkhana, the place of prayer for Ismailis. Together, these elements make the Center a vibrant hub for spiritual reflection, learning, and civic engagement.
Comprising nine acres of gardens, terraces, courts and fountains designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, the Centre’s outdoor spaces offer a peaceful retreat and a contemplative oasis in the heart of Houston’s urban core.
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/mawlana- ... auguration
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Ismaili Centre Houston joins global network of ambassadorial buildings
Over the past four decades, a series of high-profile sites have been established in cities across the world. The Ismaili Centre in Houston is the latest addition. Each Centre is a symbolic marker of the permanent presence of the Ismaili community, and while distinct in form, all share a common aspiration: to build bridges between the community and the broader public.
In 1985, the first Ismaili Centres were established in London and Vancouver. Additional Centres were later established in Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, Toronto, and Houston. While each Centre draws inspiration from its local surroundings, their architecture consistently blends traditional Islamic design with contemporary styles.
Beyond their unique architecture, Ismaili Centres offer welcoming spaces for dialogue, learning, prayer, and reflection. They also serve as principal hubs for the Ismaili community to participate in and contribute to civic life.
Cultural conversations
“Like other Ismaili Centres around the world, the London Centre serves not only as a gathering place for Ismailis, but as an active participant in local society, sponsoring a variety of cultural initiatives—exhibitions, lectures and other public events,” said Mawlana Shah Karim in 2008. “These efforts reflect our pride in our heritage and our eagerness to share it with others.”
The London Centre is located in the city’s ‘cultural quarter,’ opposite the V&A museum, a stone’s throw away from the Natural History and Science Museums, and a short walk from the Royal Albert Hall. It is therefore ideally located to participate in London’s frequent cultural conversations, and does so by hosting exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and art displays.
Major public events hosted at the Ismaili Centre in London have included Expressions of the Pamir, an exhibition and concert showcasing Tajik culture in 1999; Spirit & Life, a display of rare Islamic art and manuscripts in 2007; and Dreams & Dystopias, a collection of photographs depicting East Africa’s colonial legacy and diverse geography in 2019. Every year, the Centre also takes part in the Exhibition Road music day and London’s Open House and Open gardens.
Members of the audience enjoy the music and poetry concert "Covanent of love" at the Ismaili Centre, London in February 2019.
Intellectual inquiry
Each Centre has a large space commonly referred to as the ‘social hall.’ These multipurpose halls utilise natural light, open plan design, and various floor elevations to provide spaces where the community can come together, with the addition of, and a warm welcome towards non-Ismaili guests and visitors.
The social hall in Vancouver’s Ismaili Centre is a bright, open, and inviting space. It has hosted lectures, and public dialogues that live long in the memory of many Ismailis from British Columbia and beyond. The building has welcomed an array of social, political, and business leaders, crossing the lines of political affiliation, culture, and religion, and has offered a meaningful setting for the promotion of dialogue and the sharing of ideas.
In the run-up to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada, led some 200 British Columbian youth in a Truce Dialogue. Soon after, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin spoke about improving access to justice and the role of alternative dispute resolution at a luncheon held at the Centre. More recently, the building has hosted the Chancellor of the University of Calgary and former astronaut Robert Thirsk, and President of the University of British Columbia Professor Santa Ono.
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, speaks with volunteers at the Olympic Truce event hosted at the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver in 2009.
Civic responsibility
Ismailis worldwide pride themselves on being civic-minded, engaged citizens. Since the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon opened in 1998, members of the community have gathered at its grounds to launch numerous acts of public service, in keeping with the traditions of service and volunteering which are so integral to the community.
In early 2022, as the world was emerging from a global pandemic, blood reserves in Portugal were running at their lowest level in many years. Ismaili CIVIC volunteers identified an unique opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way: A pop-up clinic at the Ismaili Centre would offer members of the community and the general public a space to donate blood in a safe and serene environment, not to mention the chance to save a life.
The Ismaili Centre, Lisbon hosted a blood donation event for members of the public in March 2022.
The right start
Each Ismaili Center serves as a space for learning and community engagement, designed to bring people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds together. The Ismaili Centre in Dubai unites in its construction and decor the experiences and aesthetics of the past with the materials of today, in order to meet the needs of future generations.
The Centre’s early childhood education programme is a major contributor to the local neighbourhood. Known as the Aga Khan Early Learning Centre, it accepts all children from 12 months to four years, regardless of background or religion. Offering a secular curriculum, it emphasises bilingualism (English and Arabic) and building strong foundations for children’s future educational growth, while indoor classrooms and outdoor spaces are set up to promote active learning and encourage different types of play.
The Aga Khan Early Learning Centre at the Ismaili Centre, Dubai has won awards for inspiring wonder in young children.
Parks and recreation
The outdoor spaces of the Ismaili Centres welcome members of the public to enjoy beautiful gardens with water features and quiet areas, offering space for personal reflection, spiritual contemplation, and a sense of peace within busy urban settings.
In Toronto, the Aga Khan Park adjacent to the Ismaili Centre is an open space, accessible to all, and has hosted art installations, festivals, and temporary exhibitions of the Aga Khan Museum. It also places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability, with its design incorporating energy-efficient features, such as water recycling systems to maintain the reflecting pools. The landscaping is designed to minimize the need for water, using drought-resistant plants and efficient irrigation systems.
The plants were carefully chosen to reflect traditional Persian and Mughal gardens but are also suited to the Canadian climate. There are flowering plants, shrubs, and trees, arranged to echo Islamic garden principles, with carefully planned vistas and natural shaded areas.
Adjacent to the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, children and adults enjoy their weekend in the Aga Khan Park on a clear day in Ontario, Canada.
Ahead of their time
People from all walks of life attend events at the Centres, ranging from government and diplomatic representatives, to civil society organisations and schoolchildren. This means the buildings need to be structurally sound.
The Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe, opened in 2009, introduced several groundbreaking technologies for its time. Its elastic roof diaphragm helps distribute structural stress—an essential feature in this earthquake-prone region. The building’s heating and cooling rely on water-source heat pumps, the first system of this scale ever installed locally. It also uses a heat recovery wheel to capture and reuse energy that would otherwise be wasted. These innovations were designed and built well before environmental efficiency and climate awareness became mainstream concerns.
Taken together, the Ismaili Centres symbolise the goals and aspirations of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community. Through their design and function, their built and natural spaces play an ambassadorial role, reflecting a mood of humility, intellectual search, dialogue, and friendship. The newest addition in Houston is poised to make its own lasting impression.
A birds eye view of the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe shortly before opening in October 2009.
https://the.ismaili/pt/en/news/ismaili- ... -buildings
Over the past four decades, a series of high-profile sites have been established in cities across the world. The Ismaili Centre in Houston is the latest addition. Each Centre is a symbolic marker of the permanent presence of the Ismaili community, and while distinct in form, all share a common aspiration: to build bridges between the community and the broader public.
In 1985, the first Ismaili Centres were established in London and Vancouver. Additional Centres were later established in Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, Toronto, and Houston. While each Centre draws inspiration from its local surroundings, their architecture consistently blends traditional Islamic design with contemporary styles.
Beyond their unique architecture, Ismaili Centres offer welcoming spaces for dialogue, learning, prayer, and reflection. They also serve as principal hubs for the Ismaili community to participate in and contribute to civic life.
Cultural conversations
“Like other Ismaili Centres around the world, the London Centre serves not only as a gathering place for Ismailis, but as an active participant in local society, sponsoring a variety of cultural initiatives—exhibitions, lectures and other public events,” said Mawlana Shah Karim in 2008. “These efforts reflect our pride in our heritage and our eagerness to share it with others.”
The London Centre is located in the city’s ‘cultural quarter,’ opposite the V&A museum, a stone’s throw away from the Natural History and Science Museums, and a short walk from the Royal Albert Hall. It is therefore ideally located to participate in London’s frequent cultural conversations, and does so by hosting exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and art displays.
Major public events hosted at the Ismaili Centre in London have included Expressions of the Pamir, an exhibition and concert showcasing Tajik culture in 1999; Spirit & Life, a display of rare Islamic art and manuscripts in 2007; and Dreams & Dystopias, a collection of photographs depicting East Africa’s colonial legacy and diverse geography in 2019. Every year, the Centre also takes part in the Exhibition Road music day and London’s Open House and Open gardens.
Members of the audience enjoy the music and poetry concert "Covanent of love" at the Ismaili Centre, London in February 2019.
Intellectual inquiry
Each Centre has a large space commonly referred to as the ‘social hall.’ These multipurpose halls utilise natural light, open plan design, and various floor elevations to provide spaces where the community can come together, with the addition of, and a warm welcome towards non-Ismaili guests and visitors.
The social hall in Vancouver’s Ismaili Centre is a bright, open, and inviting space. It has hosted lectures, and public dialogues that live long in the memory of many Ismailis from British Columbia and beyond. The building has welcomed an array of social, political, and business leaders, crossing the lines of political affiliation, culture, and religion, and has offered a meaningful setting for the promotion of dialogue and the sharing of ideas.
In the run-up to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada, led some 200 British Columbian youth in a Truce Dialogue. Soon after, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin spoke about improving access to justice and the role of alternative dispute resolution at a luncheon held at the Centre. More recently, the building has hosted the Chancellor of the University of Calgary and former astronaut Robert Thirsk, and President of the University of British Columbia Professor Santa Ono.
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, speaks with volunteers at the Olympic Truce event hosted at the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver in 2009.
Civic responsibility
Ismailis worldwide pride themselves on being civic-minded, engaged citizens. Since the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon opened in 1998, members of the community have gathered at its grounds to launch numerous acts of public service, in keeping with the traditions of service and volunteering which are so integral to the community.
In early 2022, as the world was emerging from a global pandemic, blood reserves in Portugal were running at their lowest level in many years. Ismaili CIVIC volunteers identified an unique opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way: A pop-up clinic at the Ismaili Centre would offer members of the community and the general public a space to donate blood in a safe and serene environment, not to mention the chance to save a life.
The Ismaili Centre, Lisbon hosted a blood donation event for members of the public in March 2022.
The right start
Each Ismaili Center serves as a space for learning and community engagement, designed to bring people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds together. The Ismaili Centre in Dubai unites in its construction and decor the experiences and aesthetics of the past with the materials of today, in order to meet the needs of future generations.
The Centre’s early childhood education programme is a major contributor to the local neighbourhood. Known as the Aga Khan Early Learning Centre, it accepts all children from 12 months to four years, regardless of background or religion. Offering a secular curriculum, it emphasises bilingualism (English and Arabic) and building strong foundations for children’s future educational growth, while indoor classrooms and outdoor spaces are set up to promote active learning and encourage different types of play.
The Aga Khan Early Learning Centre at the Ismaili Centre, Dubai has won awards for inspiring wonder in young children.
Parks and recreation
The outdoor spaces of the Ismaili Centres welcome members of the public to enjoy beautiful gardens with water features and quiet areas, offering space for personal reflection, spiritual contemplation, and a sense of peace within busy urban settings.
In Toronto, the Aga Khan Park adjacent to the Ismaili Centre is an open space, accessible to all, and has hosted art installations, festivals, and temporary exhibitions of the Aga Khan Museum. It also places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability, with its design incorporating energy-efficient features, such as water recycling systems to maintain the reflecting pools. The landscaping is designed to minimize the need for water, using drought-resistant plants and efficient irrigation systems.
The plants were carefully chosen to reflect traditional Persian and Mughal gardens but are also suited to the Canadian climate. There are flowering plants, shrubs, and trees, arranged to echo Islamic garden principles, with carefully planned vistas and natural shaded areas.
Adjacent to the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, children and adults enjoy their weekend in the Aga Khan Park on a clear day in Ontario, Canada.
Ahead of their time
People from all walks of life attend events at the Centres, ranging from government and diplomatic representatives, to civil society organisations and schoolchildren. This means the buildings need to be structurally sound.
The Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe, opened in 2009, introduced several groundbreaking technologies for its time. Its elastic roof diaphragm helps distribute structural stress—an essential feature in this earthquake-prone region. The building’s heating and cooling rely on water-source heat pumps, the first system of this scale ever installed locally. It also uses a heat recovery wheel to capture and reuse energy that would otherwise be wasted. These innovations were designed and built well before environmental efficiency and climate awareness became mainstream concerns.
Taken together, the Ismaili Centres symbolise the goals and aspirations of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community. Through their design and function, their built and natural spaces play an ambassadorial role, reflecting a mood of humility, intellectual search, dialogue, and friendship. The newest addition in Houston is poised to make its own lasting impression.
A birds eye view of the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe shortly before opening in October 2009.
https://the.ismaili/pt/en/news/ismaili- ... -buildings
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
I wish they had recited our Ismaili Anthem just like the recitation of the National Anthem. It would have indeed been of special significance for the great historic moment!
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
That’s exactly what I noticed while watching the entire inauguration ceremony! The Ismaili flag was displayed several times alongside the U.S. and Texas flags — but there was no Ismaili anthem.
That really seemed strange to me.
So far, I’ve observed quite a bit of mismanagement across various sectors and areas. Yesterday I have to wait almost 2 hours in line to correct a small mistake and there are many jamati members waiting for their access passes! I am still waiting for a parking ticket even though we tried hard to get it.
That really seemed strange to me.
So far, I’ve observed quite a bit of mismanagement across various sectors and areas. Yesterday I have to wait almost 2 hours in line to correct a small mistake and there are many jamati members waiting for their access passes! I am still waiting for a parking ticket even though we tried hard to get it.
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
I think the Anthem did not have wordings attached as the original was the Noor e Rassulilah in a specific language but by having the recitation independant of the music, the wording can be adapted in any language such as Arabic or Farsi depending on language of the country. Also Noor e Rassulillah may be corrected as there may be some interpretational intrinsic problem with the doctrine that Imam reflect the Noor of the Prophet.ashraf59 wrote: Thu Nov 06, 2025 2:10 pm That’s exactly what I noticed while watching the entire inauguration ceremony! The Ismaili flag was displayed several times alongside the U.S. and Texas flags — but there was no Ismaili anthem.
That really seemed strange to me.
So far, I’ve observed quite a bit of mismanagement across various sectors and areas. Yesterday I have to wait almost 2 hours in line to correct a small mistake and there are many jamati members waiting for their access passes! I am still waiting for a parking ticket even though we tried hard to get it.
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Colour the Ismaili Center Houston
Familiarise yourself and your little ones with the newest Ismaili Center with these special colouring pages — a fun way for children and families to celebrate the opening of the Ismaili Center, Houston.
Download (Printable PDF) https://content-files.the.ismaili/stati ... _Pages.pdf
Familiarise yourself and your little ones with the newest Ismaili Center with these special colouring pages — a fun way for children and families to celebrate the opening of the Ismaili Center, Houston.
Download (Printable PDF) https://content-files.the.ismaili/stati ... _Pages.pdf
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
Ismaili Center Houston opening marks historic moment for USA Jamat
Mawlana Hazar Imam welcomes the Honorable Mayor of Houston, John Whitmire, to the Ismaili Center.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain, and Prince Aly Muhammad at the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Guests observe the Nashid al-Imamah at the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston on 6 November 2025.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
The Honorable Mayor of Houston, John Whitmire, delivers remarks at the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam applauds remarks by John Whitmire, the Honorable Mayor of Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam addresses guests gathered for the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston, on November 6, 2025.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
The Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire congratulates Mawlana Hazar Imam after they unveil a commemorative plaque to inaugurate the Ismaili Center, Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
The Ismaili Centre, Houston design and project teams pose for a group photo with Mayor Whitmire, Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain, and Prince Aly Muhammad.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Design architect Farshid Moussavi explains a feature of the Ismaili Center's exterior to Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Landscape architect Thomas Wolz explains a feature of the Ismaili Center's gardens to Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Al-Karim Alidina, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA, welcomes officials, civic leaders, and guests to the inauguration ceremony.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire officially inaugurated the Ismaili Center in Houston earlier today. Set among more than nine acres of gardens and green space, the building is the first of its kind in the United States.
Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad attended the ceremony alongside members of Congress, Texas state legislators, and representatives of faith communities from across the country.
Houston ranks as America’s most ethnically diverse major city, home to thriving communities who have shaped its reputation for innovation, arts, and culture. Since the 1970s, the city’s Ismaili community has grown to include university professors, entrepreneurs, artists, and NASA scientists.
They have also partnered with local schools, hosted interfaith dialogues, and volunteered in civic programmes throughout the region. The building inaugurated today will help to expand these efforts, offering a permanent home for community engagement and cultural programming.
Commissioned by Mawlana Shah Karim in 2018, the Ismaili Center in Houston today joins a global family of buildings in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto. Though their physical forms differ, they share a common purpose: to invite people from all walks of life to interact, explore, and work together for a better tomorrow.
Al-Karim Alidina, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA, welcomed guests, and traced the project’s origins to a long-term vision.
“His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan had a decades-long aspiration to establish an Ismaili Center in the United States,” he said, “one that would reflect the values and identity of the Ismaili community. So today marks a moment of pride and joy for the community.”
In his address, Hazar Imam reflected on Shah Karim’s vision for the building and its gardens, his personal interest in their design, and his wish to designate this as a Diamond Jubilee project. He also spoke of his own aspiration for the building and its use.
“This building may be called an Ismaili Center, but it is not here for Ismailis only. It is for all Houstonians to use; a place open to all who seek knowledge, reflection, and dialogue,” he said.
“Whether through hosting recitals, launching books, presenting concerts, promoting local artists, or offering training, our intent is to provide a constant rhythm of events that spark curiosity, engender understanding, and encourage exchange.”
Hazar Imam thanked the Mayor’s office, design team, project committee, leaders of the Jamat, donors, and the many volunteers for their time, effort, and dedication. He also paid special tribute to Prince Amyn, “whose guidance, commitment, and close personal engagement over many years have been pivotal to the creation of Ismaili Centres across the world, and to this Ismaili Center here in Houston.”
“He has been a constant and regular presence on this site and at deliberations throughout planning and execution. I am profoundly grateful for his insight and contribution.”
Mayor Whitmire spoke of the magnitude and historic nature of today’s occasion.
“The Ismaili community working with the city of Houston residents,” he said, “our region, our state of Texas, and the United States—we’re making a statement today that we’re all in this together.”
The Mayor looked forward to the Center’s impact in the city and beyond: “This is only the beginning of something great,” he said.
After the ceremony, Hazar Imam and Mayor Whitmire toured the building and its gardens. Built to LEED Gold standard and with the city’s subtropical climate in mind, its design combines modern technology with traditional Persian forms and ornament. Three interconnected wings each feature a soaring eivan—an open sided veranda that provides shaded spaces for gathering and reflection.
From every entrance of the site, visitors are welcomed by dynamic green spaces, which change with the seasons. They include fountains, flowerbeds, lawns, walkways, and a large amphitheater. The gardens are planted with 800 trees and native floodplain species appropriate to the local environment.
Inside, flexible spaces are designed to fill the heart of the building with natural light and views of the sky above. The myriad offices, meeting rooms, social halls, exhibition space, and a theater, offer places for learning, contemplation, and spiritual search. Today’s much anticipated opening marks a milestone moment for the Jamat in the USA and worldwide.
“It is my deep hope,” said Hazar Imam, “that with your engagement, this Center will lift spirits and broaden horizons; this Center will bring people together, strengthen bonds, and help us all, collectively, to bring happiness and harmony to societies here and elsewhere.
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/ismaili- ... -usa-jamat
Mawlana Hazar Imam welcomes the Honorable Mayor of Houston, John Whitmire, to the Ismaili Center.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain, and Prince Aly Muhammad at the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Guests observe the Nashid al-Imamah at the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston on 6 November 2025.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
The Honorable Mayor of Houston, John Whitmire, delivers remarks at the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam applauds remarks by John Whitmire, the Honorable Mayor of Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam addresses guests gathered for the inauguration of the Ismaili Center, Houston, on November 6, 2025.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
The Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire congratulates Mawlana Hazar Imam after they unveil a commemorative plaque to inaugurate the Ismaili Center, Houston.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
The Ismaili Centre, Houston design and project teams pose for a group photo with Mayor Whitmire, Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain, and Prince Aly Muhammad.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Design architect Farshid Moussavi explains a feature of the Ismaili Center's exterior to Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Landscape architect Thomas Wolz explains a feature of the Ismaili Center's gardens to Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Al-Karim Alidina, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA, welcomes officials, civic leaders, and guests to the inauguration ceremony.Photo: IPL / Akbar Hakim
Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Honorable Mayor of Houston John Whitmire officially inaugurated the Ismaili Center in Houston earlier today. Set among more than nine acres of gardens and green space, the building is the first of its kind in the United States.
Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad attended the ceremony alongside members of Congress, Texas state legislators, and representatives of faith communities from across the country.
Houston ranks as America’s most ethnically diverse major city, home to thriving communities who have shaped its reputation for innovation, arts, and culture. Since the 1970s, the city’s Ismaili community has grown to include university professors, entrepreneurs, artists, and NASA scientists.
They have also partnered with local schools, hosted interfaith dialogues, and volunteered in civic programmes throughout the region. The building inaugurated today will help to expand these efforts, offering a permanent home for community engagement and cultural programming.
Commissioned by Mawlana Shah Karim in 2018, the Ismaili Center in Houston today joins a global family of buildings in London, Vancouver, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto. Though their physical forms differ, they share a common purpose: to invite people from all walks of life to interact, explore, and work together for a better tomorrow.
Al-Karim Alidina, President of the Ismaili Council for the USA, welcomed guests, and traced the project’s origins to a long-term vision.
“His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan had a decades-long aspiration to establish an Ismaili Center in the United States,” he said, “one that would reflect the values and identity of the Ismaili community. So today marks a moment of pride and joy for the community.”
In his address, Hazar Imam reflected on Shah Karim’s vision for the building and its gardens, his personal interest in their design, and his wish to designate this as a Diamond Jubilee project. He also spoke of his own aspiration for the building and its use.
“This building may be called an Ismaili Center, but it is not here for Ismailis only. It is for all Houstonians to use; a place open to all who seek knowledge, reflection, and dialogue,” he said.
“Whether through hosting recitals, launching books, presenting concerts, promoting local artists, or offering training, our intent is to provide a constant rhythm of events that spark curiosity, engender understanding, and encourage exchange.”
Hazar Imam thanked the Mayor’s office, design team, project committee, leaders of the Jamat, donors, and the many volunteers for their time, effort, and dedication. He also paid special tribute to Prince Amyn, “whose guidance, commitment, and close personal engagement over many years have been pivotal to the creation of Ismaili Centres across the world, and to this Ismaili Center here in Houston.”
“He has been a constant and regular presence on this site and at deliberations throughout planning and execution. I am profoundly grateful for his insight and contribution.”
Mayor Whitmire spoke of the magnitude and historic nature of today’s occasion.
“The Ismaili community working with the city of Houston residents,” he said, “our region, our state of Texas, and the United States—we’re making a statement today that we’re all in this together.”
The Mayor looked forward to the Center’s impact in the city and beyond: “This is only the beginning of something great,” he said.
After the ceremony, Hazar Imam and Mayor Whitmire toured the building and its gardens. Built to LEED Gold standard and with the city’s subtropical climate in mind, its design combines modern technology with traditional Persian forms and ornament. Three interconnected wings each feature a soaring eivan—an open sided veranda that provides shaded spaces for gathering and reflection.
From every entrance of the site, visitors are welcomed by dynamic green spaces, which change with the seasons. They include fountains, flowerbeds, lawns, walkways, and a large amphitheater. The gardens are planted with 800 trees and native floodplain species appropriate to the local environment.
Inside, flexible spaces are designed to fill the heart of the building with natural light and views of the sky above. The myriad offices, meeting rooms, social halls, exhibition space, and a theater, offer places for learning, contemplation, and spiritual search. Today’s much anticipated opening marks a milestone moment for the Jamat in the USA and worldwide.
“It is my deep hope,” said Hazar Imam, “that with your engagement, this Center will lift spirits and broaden horizons; this Center will bring people together, strengthen bonds, and help us all, collectively, to bring happiness and harmony to societies here and elsewhere.
https://the.ismaili/us/en/news/ismaili- ... -usa-jamat
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
2025, November 06:
Houston Mayor's Office
@houmayor
It was an honor to welcome Prince Rahim Aga Khan to Houston!
Today, we toured the first Ismaili Center in The United States — right here in our city.
Years in the making, this landmark stands as a powerful symbol of inclusion, learning, and service.
Houston Mayor's Office
@houmayor
It was an honor to welcome Prince Rahim Aga Khan to Houston!
Today, we toured the first Ismaili Center in The United States — right here in our city.
Years in the making, this landmark stands as a powerful symbol of inclusion, learning, and service.
Re: ISMAILI CENTRE HOUSTON
2025, November 06: Inauguration of the Houston Ismaili Center in the presence of Mowlana Shah Rahim, Prince Amyn, Prince Hussain, Prince Aly Muhammad.
VIDEO - SPEECH OF THE AGA KHAN V: https://ismaili.net/timeline/2025/2025-11-06-speech.mp4
VIDEO - SPEECH OF THE AGA KHAN V: https://ismaili.net/timeline/2025/2025-11-06-speech.mp4