Maclean’s Magazine: Just outside of Edmonton, the striking Diwan Pavilion [at Aga Khan Garden] is a feat of Islamic architecture

Kelsey Rolfe, June 22, 2023

The sweeping $5.5-million structure stands out, even in a garden modelled after paradise.

The view from the Diwan Pavilion seems more suited to Utopia than Alberta. In a nearby courtyard, a sloping fountain pumps water through 12 stone water features flanked by wildflowers—its ultimate destination a placid pond surrounded by lush fruit trees. The setting is the 4.8-hectare Aga Khan Garden in the University of Alberta’s Botanic Garden. The pavilion presides over its easternmost edge.

Unveiled last fall, the Diwan was built to be a modest backdrop to the splendour of its surroundings. Those surroundings, which cost $25 million, are partly modelled after the elaborate paradise gardens of the 16th-century Mughal Empire. Upon closer inspection, the $5.5-million structure is a showpiece in its own right. Toronto’s Axia Design envisioned a modern take on Islamic architecture in a northern climate. Much of the firm’s inspiration came from eighth-century tilework and pavilions depicted in centuries-old art.

Just inside the Diwan’s foyer, Toronto design firm Arriz+Co laid custom ceramic tiles in a floral mosaic, an homage to traditional welcoming carpets found at the entry of many Mughal gardens.

Read full article at Macleans