Source: Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, By Helen Metella
With construction of the huge Aga Khan Garden approaching the halfway mark, the site looks like one might imagine the Great Pyramids did as they were assembled.
Workers toiling at the sun drenched, 4.8-hectare slice of the existing University of Alberta Botanic Garden near Devon appear as mere specks against thick slabs of concrete that form wall stubs, terraces and ramps. Sharp angles and vast planes abound. Yet their atypical layout suggests something both exotic and magnificent is rising.
Indeed, this Islamic-inspired garden, which will be North America’s largest and will be only one of two on the entire continent, is expected to more than double annual attendance at the beloved botanic garden—to 160,000 people annually, from the current 75,000.
The sheer scope of the Aga Khan Garden, funded by a $25 million gift from His Highness the Aga Kahn, the spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslim community, is both challenging and exhilarating for the workers erecting it, said Lee Foote, director of the botanic garden.
Read more – Dated: July 6, 2017
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