classic

March construction photos from The.Ismaili - visit link for more:

https://the.ismaili/usa/march-2024-ismaili-center-construction-update

March video update - includes a voice over that provides some specific milestones:

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

On 2/6/2024 at 11:36 AM, cityliving said:

 

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

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

On 1/17/2023 at 10:30 PM, hindesky said:

The scale is hard to phathom!

On 1/5/2023 at 8:04 PM, Naviguessor said:

Thanks Classic. How are you involved with the Foundation/Center? 

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

2 hours ago, Naviguessor said:

Let's hope the Aga Khan foundation is equally as accepting as we like to consider our city to be... 

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.

On 8/20/2022 at 11:38 AM, EllenOlenska said:

Honestly, looking at it more closely. It seems like the entirety of the gardens is surrounded by hedges and a large wall, with only small gates for entry, which who knows may be locked. I don't know (I'm asking), but it seems the entrance faces into the neighborhood, away from the perspective of almost all the renderings. So to get to the garden you'd have to go through this impressive but not exactly conductive building. I'm not exactly sure if the gardens are meant to be accessible in the same way Hermann Park is. 

Are people going to have unfettered access to the gardens daily? 

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.