ISMAILI CENTRE TORONTO

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kmaherali
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ISMAILI CENTRE TORONTO

Post by kmaherali »

kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Under construction....
2010/08/23

http://twitpic.com/2hgc37/full
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMj1riYCMlc

Sunrise over Toronto 8_25.mov From: TheJimBowie | August 25, 2010
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Hume: Ten reasons the GTA — not just downtown Toronto — is getting better all the time

Ambitious projects reveal a city being transformed — beyond the core

Now under construction, the new Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum and Gardens will enrich the city architecturally and culturally, says critic Christopher Hume.

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

If nothing else, the current mayoral race has revealed Toronto to be a city divided. According to the logic of the campaign, it's downtowners versus the rest of world. That may be simplifying things, but there's no doubt tension exists between the old City of Toronto and its current municipal bedmates. Amalgamation has left many feeling neglected, and worse, scorned.

So it wasn't a surprise that the reaction to last week's list of "10 things that make Toronto a better city" was prompted largely by location; nine of the 10 items were within the old city limits, and largely downtown.
So this week, we're looking farther afield, to recent projects or works-in-progress in the very neighbourhoods where civic alienation appears most keenly felt — Scarborough, Etobicoke, North York, even Mississauga and Vaughan. Here, in no particular order, are 10 reasons why Toronto is better than ever . . . beyond downtown:

Ismaili Centre/Aga Khan Museum and Gardens: Now under construction at Eglinton Ave. and Wynford Dr., this exquisite project will transform not just the area but also the city. Toronto has nothing like it; when complete, it will enrich the city architecturally and culturally. Not only will the internationally important gallery display major artworks from the Aga Khan's collection, the gardens are intended as a place to gather and reflect.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/ar ... l-the-time
kmaherali
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kmaherali
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kmaherali
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Ismaili centre will spotlight Islamic culture, shine light into broader community

Ismaili centre will spotlight Islamic culture, shine light into broader community. Noordin Dhanji, left, and Farida Afghanyar look at images of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum at a exhibit showcasing the centre at the Ontario Science Centre Friday. Staff photo/DAN PEARCE

A new Ismaili centre being built in North York will be a beacon of Islamic culture and a bridge of understanding and harmony between Muslims and other communities.

That was the message 200 people heard Monday night at an invitation-only seminar at the Ontario Science Centre, a stone's throw from the new Ismaili Centre Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and a park now under construction on Wynford Drive.

The guests, including Mayor Rob Ford, Don Valley West MPP Kathleen Wynne and councillors Denzil Minnan-Wong, Maria Augimeri, John Parker and David Shiner, learned about the progress of the project and the philosophy driving it forward.

Meanwhile, for more than two weeks (ending Wednesday, Jan. 12), the science centre hosted a free public exhibition detailing the 17-acre development for about 6,000 visitors.

"We are, of course, very proud that Toronto was selected as the site for these projects, which are really international in design, scope and ambition," said Karim Sunderji, president of the Aga Khan Council for Ontario.

"Situated along Wynford Drive, just a couple of minutes drive from here, these landmark projects will add to the cultural and architectural landscape of the city and become platforms in the search for mutual understanding among all communities and cultures."

The Ismaili centre will become the newest addition in a network of such facilities worldwide. It will be the second in Canada after one built in Burnaby, B.C. in 1985.

It will include a prayer hall and spaces to host a number of educational and cultural activities such as book launches and community discussions. Its glass roof will allow a warm glow from within to shine outwards in the evening.

Dedicated to Islamic art, the museum will showcase intellectual, cultural, artistic and religious heritage of Muslim civilizations. Its auditorium will host various cultural and performing arts displays, possibly including Toronto International Film events.

The two buildings will be set in a park which will include a formal garden, reflecting pools, walkways and other features.

Mohamed Manji, president of the Aga Khan Council for Canada, called the project an opportunity to bring together diverse groups of people.

"In today's troubling times, while some speak of a clash of civilizations, His Highness (the Aga Khan) has instead called it a clash of ignorance between Islam and the western world," he said.

"With more than a billion Muslims around the world and a 1,400-year history, it has become even more imperative for Islam and its diversity of tradition, expressions, cultures and interpretations, as well as Islam's relationship with other traditions and faiths to be better understood."

Both Canada and Islam stand for pluralism, human dignity, equality and compassion for the less fortunate, Manji said.

"These are Canadian values, they are Muslim values, they are indeed human values," he said.

The project will also showcase Islam's abundant culture, Manji said.

"And hence, the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their park offer a platform for sharing Islam's rich history through the display of works of art and artifacts, through cultural programs and through opportunities for deeper conversations with other communities," he said.

"We hope that all of you will, as we do, take pride in this new addition to Toronto's architectural renaissance."

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local ... -community
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Post by kmaherali »

Ismaili Centre, Toronto:
A new addition to a growing global network

By Faranaaz Alimohamed

http://www.theismaili.org/assets/1/3906.pdf
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As construction progresses, Torontonians get to peek at plans for the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park

http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1151/As-c ... their-Park

The site of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park along Wynford Drive in Toronto on 3 December 2010. Photo: Courtesy of Imara Wynford Drive

Nearly eight months after Mawlana Hazar Imam and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper performed the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park, Toronto architectural firm, Moriyama & Teshima reports that construction of the Wynford Drive projects is progressing well.

“We can now see the project emerging from the ground,” said Drew Wensley, Executive Vice President of Moriyama & Teshima Planners. “It’s truly an exciting time.”

Also see:
» Photo Gallery: Construction of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto
» Articles from the July 2010 issue of The Ismaili Canada magazine about the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park [PDF]
» Ismaili Centres: The Ismaili Centre, Toronto

Wensley and others from the firm discussed the progress of the Wynford Drive projects at a seminar held at the Ontario Science Centre on 10 January. Their presentation, which also included a discussion on the firm’s work on the Wadi Hanifa Wetlands project in Saudi Arabia — one of the five winners of the most recent cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture — took place against the backdrop of an exhibition of images and architectural renderings of the projects. The exhibition drew some 7 500 visitors over three weeks in late December and early January, including seniors groups and students from the Ontario Al-Azhar programme.

During a site visit in October 2010, Mawlana Hazar Imam reviews the glass roof design of the Ismaili Centre with David Thompson of Halcrow Yolles and Daniel Teramura of Moriyama & Teshima Architects. Photo: Moez Visram


Guests at the seminar included Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, Ontario Minister of Transportation and Don Valley West MPP Kathleen Wynne and City of Toronto councillors Denzil Minnan-Wong, Maria Augimeri, John Parker and David Shiner. They were joined by many friends and partners of the community, who learnt about the progress of the project and the philosophy driving it forward.

“The prayer hall itself is coming out of the ground,” observed Wensley of the Ismaili Centre. “We see the beginnings of the walls and groundwork and by May, the glass roof, which will be the predominant feature of the building, will start to develop.”

Designed by Charles Correa, the Ismaili Centre in Toronto will be the sixth of its kind in the world, and the second in Canada after the Ismaili Centre in British Columbia. An illuminated frosted glass dome will sit on top of the circular prayer hall, and will be accented by a clear glass column that natural light will pass through. In addition to providing space for spiritual contemplation, the Centre will be a venue for programmes and initiatives ranging from lectures and exhibitions, to cultural and social events.
The formation of the inclined walls of the Aga Khan Museum, as seen on 9 December 2010 from what will eventually be the interior of the Museum. Photo: Courtesy of Imara Wynford Drive


The walls of the Aga Khan Museum have also begun to emerge. Set to open in 2013, the Museum building was designed by Fumihko Maki. It will be the first of its kind, displaying a permanent collection of over 1 000 pieces spanning 1 400 years of Muslim history, including Islamic art and artefacts collected by Mawlana Hazar Imam and his family. It will showcase the rich tapestry of peoples and civilisations that have historically been part of the Muslim world.

“This Museum will be a big draw in a city as diverse as Toronto,” said Karim Sunderji, President of the Ismaili Council for Ontario. “I think that visitors will discover that the pluralism of Canadian society is mirrored in many ways by the plurality of traditions, cultures and interpretations of Islam.”

Michael Brand, consultant to the Aga Khan Museum, remarked that the new institution will engage in research in the history, techniques, and theory of the visual art of Islamic civilisations, as well as related architectural, landscape, musical, and oral traditions, and distribute this knowledge through academic programmes and print and electronic channels.

“The focus of the Museum will be to inspire and engage a 21st century community with the art of Islamic civilisation,” Brand said.

A park will surround and connect the Museum and the Ismaili Centre, and will be open to the public all year round. Designed by Lebanese architect Vladmir Djurovic, it will encompass reflecting pools and draw inspiration from a traditional chahar-bagh garden.
City of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford listens with interest as Ismaili Council for Canada President Mohamed Manji points out key features of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park. Photo: Moez Visram

“It’s a splendid place and all of its objectives, uniting cultural groups and a place of both contemplation and learning is fabulous,” said Linda Prue, an instructor at the University of Toronto who attended the seminar. “It’s great for Toronto and a wonderful way to build bridges between communities.”

George Stockton, President of Moriyama & Teshima Planners, agreed, saying the projects “do things landscape does best, which is connect major new buildings and institutions together and they provide a place for people.”

Stockton also spoke to the success of the Wadi Hanifa Wetlands project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which officially opened last April and received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in November.

The wadi had suffered extensive environmental degradation, and Moriyama & Teshima were charged with restoring and developing it as an environmental, recreational and tourism resource. Starting in 2001, they introduced landscaping, conservation of the natural environment, the enhancement of agricultural land and the creation of an environmentally sensitive wastewater treatment facility that provided additional water resources for the rural and urban inhabitants of the region. Recreational areas were also developed for the people of Riyadh.
Visitors tour the exhibition of the Wynford Drive projects held at the Ontario Science Centre. Photo: Moez Visram


“We had to bring it back to life,” said Stockton. “We had to bring it back to a level of health and we really had to understand how it worked as a result.”

“Now, there’s a completely new sociology and culture developing within these Wadi parks and within Wadi Hanifa,” he added.

Similar to the Wadi Hanifa project, the Park in Toronto will also reach out to and transform its community, including spaces for educational programming and offering a place for reflection and relaxation.

“If you look at the combination of these projects — a museum on one side, an Ismaili Centre on the other side, formal gardens in the middle and the Park all around it, this is truly a unique set of projects that come together,” said Mohamed Manji, President of the Ismaili Council for Canada. “These projects contribute to the architectural renaissance of Toronto, and invite dialogue amongst peoples and communities as they strive for peace and common ground.”
Formation of the floor slab of the Prayer Hall of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto on 12 November 2010. Photo: Courtesy of Imara Wynford Drive
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Post by kmaherali »

Video

Aga Khan Construction 3.10 to 3.11.mov

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt_MX7RwKQA
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Post by kmaherali »

Gallery: Construction of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto and Aga Khan Museum (May 2011)

http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1214/Gall ... m-May-2011
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Post by kmaherali »

Deleted: Wrong picture
Last edited by kmaherali on Thu Jun 23, 2011 3:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
agakhani
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Post by agakhani »

K.bhai,

The link provided by you above, shows the picture of cats and cars !!!
do you want share these pictures with us? or pictures of 'THE ISMAILI CENTER TORONTO"?
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

agakhani wrote: The link provided by you above, shows the picture of cats and cars !!!
do you want share these pictures with us? or pictures of 'THE ISMAILI CENTER TORONTO"?
Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I have deleted it.

Below is the link regarding MHI's visit recently.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 0287057022

******

Mubaraki to all!!

forwarding as received....

We were there yesterday and we got to see Mowla Bapa exit at 8:30 pm. He waved and the crowd cheered. He was very happy!!!

Mumbaraki and thanks for the LINK... It was fantastic!

Ya Ali Madad

http://www.urbantoronto.ca/news/2011/06 ... ili-centre
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

kmaherali
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kmaherali
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The Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park – The Story of the Trees

http://simerg.com/2011/09/14/the-aga-kh ... the-trees/
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Post by kmaherali »

Night-time Construction Activity at the Ismaili Center Toronto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17/61 ... 568822331/
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Post by kmaherali »

As received:

Date: Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 9:30 PM
Subject: Mowla at Wynford this aft

Mubarakis all. Thought we would share this with you. We were fortunate enough to be passing by Wynford this afternoon at approx 2.30pm when we saw a whole load of Police Cruisers with sirens on and police motor cycles etc....and of course the thought that Wow!, Mowla must be here!

Just as I was about to make as U turn to park and drop Noorjahan, a police motor cycle speeds up right besides me and the officer says, "Don't move, just stay there" and as I am looking at him, he points behind him and tells me "HE IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU' and just as I look behind, 3 Limos pass by, with Mowla in one of them. Mowla waves as he entered from Gate one. THere were about 20 or so people there at that time.

By the time Mowla left at approx 5.00pm, there were about 300 or more, and Mowla was so jovial and gave a huge wave as the crowd waved back.

We saw him shaking hands with the dignitaries with a huge smile on him just before stepping into his Limo.

We thought of our Jamat, and Noorjahan and I were fortunate enough to do the Deedar with our BTK Kamadia Saheb, who was also there, so Mubarakis to all from the BTK Team, and our prayers Mowla soon give us all his Zaheri deedar and Batin deedar in our Ibadat. Ameen.

We went to J.K. in the evening and shared the good news with our Jamati M/K sahebs/sahebas, who gave us lots of Dua. Ameen.
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Post by kmaherali »

Update: Glass covering begins to show up at the dome of the Ismaili Center

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 022&type=1
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Post by kmaherali »

Gallery: Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prince Amyn visit Wynford Drive construction site

http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1320/Gall ... ction-site
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http://dcnonl.com/article/id50301/--ste ... in-toronto

FEATURE | Steel

Steel soars at future Ismaili Centre in Toronto

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

With its orientation towards Mecca, the soaring glass and steel roof of the prayer hall of the soon-to-be completed Ismaili Centre in Toronto will be a visible reminder of the faith of its members who belong to the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim community.

It’s also a testimony to the detailed design, engineering, construction, and installation process that has been invested in the building, situated on a 6.8-hectare site adjacent to the Aga Khan Museum in the Wynford Drive/Don Valley Parkway area.

Carillion is the construction manager overseeing the building of the 8,000-square-metre complex which was designed by Charles Correa Associates and Moriyama & Teshima Architects. The structural and building envelope consultant is Yolles, a CH2M HILL company.

“It is being built with a mixture of reinforcing concrete and structural steel,” says

Crispin Howes, a senior associate with Yolles.



Workers place silicon gaskets on the top chord of erected structural steel roof trusses at the Ismaili Centre in the Toronto neighbourhood of Don Mills.

Cast-in-place concrete was the most economical choice for the lower level and first floor, while structural steel was used for the roof of the second floor.

While natural light is used to highlight several significant areas, the most spectacular is the prayer hall roof. Measuring 30 metres by 30 metres and reaching 15 metres at its highest point, the roof is comprised of a double layer of translucent glass supported by 65 Vierendeel trusses. There are a total of 920 glass panels.



View Larger Map

One layer of glass was point-fixed to the underside of the trusses, with the second layer attached on top of the trusses with the use of silicone gaskets. The space between the layers is a pressurized cavity to prevent condensation.

“There is obviously a high degree of integration between the steel and the glass and tolerances are quite high,” says Howes.

And that’s why Gartner Steel and Glass GmbH, the German-based international curtain wall producer which erected much of the cladding on the Royal Ontario Museum’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal addition, was chosen for the project, he says.

Steel fabrication including trial assembly of the roof in sections in a workshop took about five months, says Gartner operations manager Stefan Zimmermann.

“However, it should be noted that the roof structure does not only consist of Vierendeel trusses. While these trusses are the main components, there are a lot of other steel parts which form part of the roof structure.”

The biggest parts of the structure are the edge beams, with the longest one extending 27.3 metres and weighing 10.9 metric tonnes, he says.

The glass panels were manufactured in Germany. But the trusses and other steel components were fabricated in the Czech Republic. While it has its own facility, the company frequently works with other European fabricators.

“The decision whether steel fabrication is done in house or with external fabricators depends on the workload of our own factory and type of work/structure.”

None of the trusses had to be cut or adjusted on site because they were fabricated to the final dimensions with tight tolerances in the factory. And the connections which had to be done on site were designed as bolted connections “in order to avoid site welding and to ensure highest precision.”

While Gartner Steel and Glass GmbH had one technical adviser on the site, the actual installation was organized and overseen by Josef Gartner USA supervisory staff.

Installation started in June 2011 and was substantially complete in late December, says Zimmermann.
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