Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki’s Aga Khan Museum, and Indian architect Charles Correa’s adjacent Ismaili Centre, make a striking addition to the north end of Toronto, where ambitious architecture rarely finds a home.
Inside is a millennium’s worth of Islamic art from the personal collection of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the holy leader of 15 million Ismaili Muslims around the globe, including ancient text, ceramics, metalwork and architectural elements.
The $US300-million project is by far one of the most significant cultural gifts to the city.
By Catherine Osborne, Erin Donnelly and David Dick-Agnew
1: Best cultural centre: Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Maki & Associates, Charles Correa and Moriyama & Teshima Architects
With their contemporary take on Arabic architecture – including towering etched-glass interpretations of traditional mashrabiya lattice work and pristine surfaces – Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki’s Aga Khan Museum, and Indian architect Charles Correa’s adjacent Ismaili Centre, make a striking addition to the north end of Toronto, where ambitious architecture rarely finds a home. The museum sits at one end of a seven-hectare site landscaped with mature trees and reflecting pools. Its angular form, which juts outward and upward toward the roofline, and white Brazilian granite cladding are both intended to catch light, shadows and reflections. Inside is a millennium’s worth of Islamic art from the personal collection of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the holy leader of 15 million Ismaili Muslims around the globe, including ancient text, ceramics, metalwork and architectural elements. The $US300-million project is by far one of the most significant cultural gifts to the city.
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