The Ismaili Centre, Toronto is a

Jama'at Khana Jamatkhana or Jamat Khana (from , literally "congregational place") is an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word ''jama‘a'' (gathering) and the Persian word ''khana'' (house, place). It is a term used by some Muslim communities around the w ...

(place of worship) for the

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Ismaili Muslim Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept M ...

community as well as a space for social, educational and cultural activities and is located in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Completed in 2010, it is the sixth Ismaili Centre in the world. Situated in a park that it shares with the

Aga Khan Museum The Aga Khan Museum is a museum of Islamic art located at 77 Wynford Drive in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is dedicated to Islamic art and objects, and it houses approximately 1,200 rare objects assembled by Sh ...

adjacent to the

Don Valley Parkway The Don Valley Parkway (DVP) is a municipal expressway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which connects the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Highway 401. North of Highway 401, it continues as Highway 404. The parkway ru ...

North York North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by ...

, the Centre represents the permanent presence of the

community.

Construction and development

This Ismaili Centre is situated along Wynford Drive in Toronto's Don Mills neighbourhood. It is visible from the adjacent Don Valley Parkway, and shares a site with the Aga Khan Museum. The two buildings are surrounded by a landscaped park. In November 2002, the Aga Khan Foundation acquired the site and announced plans to demolish the Bata Shoes Head Office in order to construct it. The Ismaili Centre had its foundation ceremony on May 28, 2010. The ceremony was performed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Aga Khan, together with the foundation of the Aga Khan Museum and their shared park. Construction of the $300 million development finished in 2014, and represents a significant addition and shift in the landscape of Toronto's cultural institutions. The building was opened by Canadian Prime Minister

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He is to date the only prime minister to have come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ser ...

and His Highness Prince Karim

Aga Khan Aga Khan (; ; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Imām of the Nizari Isma'ilism, Nizari Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīli Shia Islam, Shias. The current holder of the title is the ...

on September 12, 2014.

Architecture

The Ismaili Centre, Toronto was designed by Indian architectural firm

Charles Correa Charles Mark Correa (1 September 1930 – 16 June 2015) was an Indian architect and urban planner based in Mumbai, India. Credited with the creation of modern architecture in post-Independent India, he was celebrated for his sensitivity to the ...

Associates in collaboration with Toronto-based Moriyama & Teshima Architects. A distinguishing feature of the building is the glass roof of the prayer hall, which recalls the

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal keyed into and projecting from a wall to carry a wikt:superincumbent, bearing weight, a type of bracket (architecture), bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in t ...

ling in many of the traditional domes in the Muslim world. The glass dome, which represented a difficult technical challenge, is made of two layers of high-performance glass, and fritted (made porous) to deflect the heat of the sun. A clear sliver of glass facing east toward

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

will run down the translucent roof.

Park

The Ismaili Centre is set in a landscaped park, composed of both formal and informal gardens. Designed by Lebanese landscape-architect Vladimir Djurovic, the park connects the Centre with the adjacent Aga Khan Museum. Djurovic described his vision for the park as one that "captures the essence of the Islamic garden and translates it into an expression that reflects its context and contemporary age." Designed to suit the climate of Toronto, the gardens capture the beauty of the four seasons. The park also provides space for educational programming, outdoor gatherings, as well as offering areas for tranquility and relaxation.

Gallery

The Ismaili Centre Drop off area 2022.jpg, The curved main entrance The Ismaili Centre interior 2022.jpg, Interior Ismaili Centre, Toronto at night.jpg, The prayer hall illuminated at night, reflected in one of the ponds of the formal garden

References

External links

*
Aga Khan Museum
Added December 28, 2012

Added December 28, 2012 {{Islam in Canada 2010 establishments in Ontario 21st-century mosques in Canada Charles Correa buildings Charbagh gardens in Canada