Houston's Ismaili Center will officially open to the public in December. It's the first of its kind in the US. (Bloom Images/CC BY-SA 4.0).
The first Ismaili Center in the US is set to open in Houston next month. Here are all of the details.
Construction is officially complete on Houston’s Ismaili Center, which will be the first of its kind in the US. Currently, six others exist: One in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Vancouver, Dushanbe, and Toronto. The Houston center will be the largest in the world, spanning over 150,000 square feet along Buffalo Bayou. The architecturally profound building will serve not only as a prayer hall for Houston’s Ismaili population, but also as a welcoming hub for the entire community.
According to His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the current hereditary imam (spiritual leader) for the Ismailis, who are a branch of Shia Islam, “This building may be called an Ismaili Center, but it is not here for Ismailis only. It is for all Houstonians to use; a place open to all who seek knowledge, reflection, and dialogue.” Omar Samji, who is part of the Isamili Council for the United States of America, echoed Aga Khan V’s sentiment.
“The use of the building is really meant for, or our hope, is that we are able to—on an enhanced view of what the community does today—have engagement on service projects, arts and culture, interfaith dialogue, and even just in bringing people together,” Samji told CultureMap. The architect who designed the stunning center, Farshid Moussavi, spoke with AXIOS about the project and said they built the structure with stone to ensure its longevity.
“This building is about heritage. It’s about saying the Ismaili community has a past, but it’s not stuck in the past. It’s also a living community,” Moussavi said. For context, Houston is home to the largest Ismaili population in the country. According to AXIOS, tens of thousands of Ismailis attend several prayer halls, known as Jamatkhanas, across the region.
The center’s Jamtkhana is over 12,240 square feet and will be able to comfortably accommodate 1,500 people at a time. Despite its obvious size, the prayer hall only takes up about 10% of the Ismaili Center’s interior space. What other community elements will the expansive new building hold? I’m so glad you asked!
What’s inside the Ismaili Center?
In addition to the expansive Jamtkhana, Houston’s Ismaili Center—which features an eco-friendly exterior—will house:
- Educational rooms designed for religious study
- Balconies
- A library
- Bookable conference halls
- Temporary and permanent art installations
- A theater
- A sports area
- A playground
- A courtyard featuring numerous gardens (which are central to Islamic architecture), reflection fountains, and seating areas designed in a U-shape to encourage conversation
The gardens will showcase plants native to Texas. Outdoor concerts and plays will be held throughout the year, as will community and international performances and events at the center’s Black Box Theater.
During a ceremony held at the center, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V emphasized the importance of creating a place where everyone in the Houston area can thrive. “Empty buildings, however striking, don’t serve their communities. It is my deep hope that with your engagement, the Center will lift spirits and broaden horizons. The Center will bring people together, strengthen bonds, and help us all collectively to bring happiness and harmony to societies here and elsewhere,” he said.
When does the center officially open?
Houston’s Ismaili Center is holding two separate welcome events for the community, one on December 12 and one on December 13. After those have concluded, the center will be open to the public.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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