The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, and His Highness the Aga Khan formally opened the Ismaili Centre, Toronto and Aga Khan Museum.
These projects, an initiative of the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, are intended to foster knowledge and understanding both within Muslim societies and
between these societies and other cultures.
The two buildings are situated within a 6.8-hectare landscaped park, a new space for the public that showcases the work of three renowned architects. Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki designed the Aga Khan Museum, while Indian architect Charles Correa designed the Ismaili Centre. The park, which features a formal garden, is designed by architect Vladimir Djurovic of Lebanon, due to be opened next year.
Prime Minister Harper commented that the site will be “a source of inspiration, spiritual renewal and cultural awareness,” not only for Torontonians, but for all visitors. The Prime Minister paid a special tribute to the Aga Khan’s vision of Islam, which “stresses its social traditions of peace, tolerance and pluralism.”
Speaking of the architect of the Ismaili Centre, Charles Correa, the Aga Khan said, “… we selected for the Centre a world-class architect who had designed for many faiths, but always in an idiom for today and tomorrow. He was a man who deeply believes, as he puts it, that “tradition and modernity are not opposites.” And the result, as you can see, is a building in which traditional elements of Muslim architecture are given a confident, forward-looking vocabulary. The fusion of tradition and modernity which this building achieves, and the blend of spiritual, educational and social objectives that it embodies, have also characterised our other Ismaili Centres — in Vancouver, London, Lisbon, Dubai, and Dushanbe. All of them were designed by architects of great international standing, and, I would emphasise, of great multi-cultural sensitivity.”
The Aga Khan Museum is the first museum in North America dedicated to the arts of Muslim civilisations. Through its Permanent Collection, performing arts and educational programmes and roster of temporary exhibitions, it will welcome the full spectrum of public engagement and serve as a vibrant educational institution. The Ismaili Centre incorporates spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement, and spiritual reflection. Together, these global institutions will contribute to a better understanding among different communities and cultures.
For images visit :http://www.theismaili.org/ismailicentres/toronto/gallery-toronto