classic

Photos via Architect Farshid Moussavi's Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/farshidmoussavi/

Internal detail video via Hanif Kara's Instagram feed (Principal of AKT2): https://www.instagram.com/p/C5QZuDiLZlz/?e=37fdc872-66f7-4286-98f0-32fe84e204f7&g=5

View of Houston from The Ismaili Center - photo via Farshid Moussavi's Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Gh6SWL5C2/

I'm glad they are cleaning up the roof of the building. The aerial view of the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton Canada looks like a Persian carpet, and I'm thinking this building when all landscaping is complete, may give that type of vibe from the sky also.

Updates from http://The.Ismaili December drone video: https://the.ismaili/ismaili-center-houston/ismaili-center-houston-construction-progress

Also from the same Instagram post is this image of the main atrium. REF: https://www.instagram.com/p/C16q0WOoT0_/?img_index=1

REF: https://the.ismaili/usa/november-2023-ismaili-center-construction-update

This video on Hanif Kara's Instagram account, while 36 weeks old, has some spectacular close-up views of some of the impressive superstructure on this project. Hanif is I believe a co-founder of structural engineering firm AKT2. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqnul1lK8U_/ Nice close-up of the south end via Farshid Moussavi's Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/p/C05vOA4M6Ls/

I'm loving that so much focus continues on the landscaping in parallel to the main structure, including plantings. This is somewhat of a hallmark with Ismaili and AKDN affiliated projects, and it allows for trees and other plantings to be in top form at the time of opening.

Some recent images from Kinetica's Instagram feed (who are producing the unique blue concrete wall and ceiling treatments / tiles). REF: https://www.instagram.com/kinetica_/?img_index=1

The construction page for the Houston Ismaili Centre on the.ismaili looks like it gets updated monthly with pictures and update videos: https://the.ismaili/ismaili-center-houston/ismaili-center-houston-construction-progress Wood wall panels: Mechanical / electrical starting to come in: And here are some images from Houston Council Member Abbie Kamin, including the area where they are testing out cladding, flooring, and so on. Ref: https://twitter.com/AbbieKamin/status/1709709628173402412 From a related FB post. REF: https://www.facebook.com/theismailiusa/posts/pfbid02dDTLywEXtytiJw3en2kGMbszGReUzn3qLQVWWVZMC88iPEtar8YgJbLobJexcnHyl And this one from Farshid Moussavi's Instagram feed gives some perspective on those massive beams we saw earlier in construction! REF: https://www.instagram.com/farshidmoussavi/

The 2023 Rhythms of Canada festival held at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, looks quite impressive in this recap. Would love to see something like this at the Houston Center in the (near) future! https://twitter.com/TheIsmailiCA/status/1677460452060839938

With all the interest in the steel required for the Ismaili Center Houston, thought I'd share a pinch about novel elements requiring custom steel from Aga Khan / Ismaili community projects in Canada. The Ismaili Centre Toronto's prayer hall has a massive free-span multi-faceted glass roof. The steel forms required to do this (sandwiched between two layers of glass) were very custom, and are assembled within a massive ring beam around the perimeter. Photo of the inside during construction: Image via Canadian Architect from during late phases of construction: https://www.canadianarchitect.com/toronto-trio/ The Aga Khan Museum, co-located with the Ismaili Centre Toronto within one large landscaped site, has massive walls that lean outwards, and then are connected to a large square beam around the top perimeter of a square internal courtyard. Looks simple enough completed, but was I believe quite complex fabricating and putting up. https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/aga-khan-museum-ismaili-centre-toronto/ The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat on Sussex Drive in Ottawa (an ambassadorial building along a stretch similar in prominent to the Mall in DC), of smaller overall scale, has a large multi-layer translucent roof over a massive atrium that is also quite brilliant and required more custom steel: https://architizer.com/idea/369326/ Thank-you to the folks snapping pics of the Houston construction. Sure a treat for those interested who cannot see the project go up in person!

The scale is hard to phathom!

I'm not directly involved, but I am a member of the community so I follow the happenings.

I don't think you need to wait for the Ismaili Center to be built to get an answer to your question about the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). AKF is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which is the largest private international development network in the world. That in and of itself maybe doesn't provide the window you're looking for, but I'd suggest a look at their list of partners does. Below is a list of AKDN partners as listed on the.akdn (that's actually their website - they have their own gTLD): African Development Bank Agence Française de Développement Asian Development Bank Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade AXIS Bank Foundation Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives Bainum Family Foundation USA Benazir Income Support Programme, Government of Pakistan Bernard van Leer Foundation Better Cotton Growth Bezos Family Foundation Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation Bihar Education Project Council, India Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission, India Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, India Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation USA Blue Ventures BNP Paribas British Council Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Canada Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Cargill Catholic University of Portugal Children’s Investment Fund Foundation UK (CIFF) Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Christensen Fund Comic Relief British International Invest (formerly Commonwealth Development Corporation) Conrad N. Hilton Foundation USA Cotton Connect Danish International Development Agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany Development Support Agency of Gujarat, India Drosos Foundation Dubai Cares Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Education Cannot Wait Electricité de France ELMA Foundation USA European Bank for Reconstruction and Development European Commission European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) European Investment Bank Flora Family Foundation Ford Foundation French Ministry of Foreign Affairs German Federal Foreign Office (FFO) German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Global Affairs Canada Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Government of Afghanistan Government of Australia Government of Burkina Faso Government of Canada Government of the Czech Republic Government of Côte d’Ivoire Government of Denmark Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo Government of Egypt Government of Finland Government of France Government of Germany Government of Greece Government of India Government of Indonesia Government of Japan Government of Kazakhstan Government of the Kyrgyz Republic Government of Kenya Government of Mali Government of Mozambique Government of the Netherlands Government of New Zealand Government of Norway Government of Pakistan Government of Portugal Government of Spain Government of Sweden Government of Switzerland Government of Tajikistan Government of Tanzania Government of the United Kingdom Government of Uganda Government of Zanzibar Grand Challenges Canada Harvard University Hazira LNG ltd Hazira Port Private Limited HDFC Bank Ltd Heifer Project International HELVETAS Hewlett Foundation Hilfswerk International IKEA Foundation Innocent Foundation UK Integrity Action InterGlobe Foundation International Development Research Centre (IDRC) International Finance Corporation (IFC) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Labour Organisation (ILO) Jacobs Foundation Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs John Deere Johnson & Johnson Foundation Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) L&T Technology Services Ltd La Caixa Foundation Larsen & Toubro Public Charitable Trust LAUDES Foundation Lego Foundation Lisbon City Council Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs The John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation Magdy Yacoub Heart Foundation Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Margaret A. Cargill Foundation MasterCard Foundation Microsoft Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), India National Bank of Pakistan National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), Pakistan National Ministry of Jal Shakti, India Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oak Foundation Omidyar Network Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund Patriarchate of Lisbon PATRIP Foundation Paul Reinhart AG People in Need Population Council Porticus Foundation Porto Catholic University Portuguese Catholic University Portuguese Cooperation Institute PricewaterhouseCoopers Services Limited Prince’s Trust International Société de Promotion et de Participation pour la Coopération Economique (PROPARCO) Qatar National Library Quest Alliance Rabo Bank Rahimtulla Trust Reckitt Benckiser Rizwan Adatia Foundation Rockefeller Foundation Rotary International Royal Canadian Geographic Society Roza Otumbaeva Initiative SBI Foundation Scotiabank Simon Fraser University Société Générale Standard Chartered Bank State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Government of Switzerland (SECO) Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) The Tata Trusts ThinkCity, Malaysia Triggerise United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) United Nations Women Unilever Foundation United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) United States Department of Agriculture United States Department of State University of Alberta University of British Columbia University of Calgary University of California University of Columbia, New York University of Ottawa University of Toronto University of Victoria University of Vienna University of Waterloo University of Western Ontario Vitol Foundation Wellspring Philanthropic Fund World Bank World Conservation Society World Food Programme (WFP) World Health Organisation (WHO) World Monuments Fund World University Service of Canada Apologies for such a long list, but it is telling, and I also think many will have similar questions to Naviguessor. Explore the website for more.

This is a great little video that just got published, with new animation of the finished product, more context regarding the nature and uses of the building, and great touchstones from other Ismaili Centers already in place.

I don't have an answer to this for the Houston project, but the Toronto touchstone (IE the Aga Khan Park wherein the Ismaili Centre Toronto and Aga Khan Museum reside) is fully accessible all the time. Quite literally, all the time.

An extremely important and integral part of the project is the landscaping and outdoor spaces, and I highlight this as we often only think of projects as the building proper, and that is not the best frame here. I think access to and activation of the extensive landscaping (being led by NBW https://www.nbwla.com/projects/boards/ismaili-center-houston ) will be brilliant. It could be an interesting exercise to check out outdoor space activation at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto to get a possible touchstone. They have often hosted outdoor photo exhibitions, arts events, and even a major Canada Day themed multi-day music festival. This was the line-up for the 2022 Rhythms of Canada festival at the Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre Toronto, held virtually exclusively in their outdoor spaces: https://express.adobe.com/page/dryki8ryrd0J5/