Aga Khan Museum + Ismaili Centre (Fumihiko Maki + Charles Correa)

[walli]

Seems a lot of the externally visible structural work is happening now on the cultural centre side of the project. Here is a July 30 pic from Jim:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17...n/photostream/

Wouldn't mind seeing a daytime view now, including closer views of the cultural centre complex (note all the work behind the pyramid-type structure).

[JimBowie]

The Nikon & I went for a walk to the west side of the construction site. This is where the most visible changes are happening.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17...7627240650819/

Jim

[JimBowie]

But wait... there's more.... "Moon over the construction site"...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17...0726/lightbox/

[Torontovibe]

This along with The Shops Of Don Mills and The Science Centre could provide a nice little tourist hub in North York.

[azizsf]

Thanks Jim

[walli]

Thanks Jim for the latest pictures - they are a window into a portion of the project that we actually know the least about. It seems to me that we've seen more renderings and gotten more information about the Museum portion of the project as compared to the Cultural Centre portion. I wish the developers and architects would release a bit more info. I've noticed that the firms of both Fumihiko Maki and Charles Correa have not put any meaningful information on their websites about these structures. Charles Correa's website has a page on the cultural centre that has stated "web page under construction" for over five years now!

What would be awesome would be a virtual reality video of this project - a walk through of the two structures and the park. Maybe that would give too much away at this point, but it would certainly be quite special!

[walli]

You know what would be really neat - is if they used the angled walls to project images off of. Maybe even have that as part of evening shows from the gardens on summer evenings

[JimBowie]

Here's some pics from lunchtime today. You can see a lot of steel work is happening on the top of the museum building. There's a new gazebo-like structure up there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17...7627316395321/

[walli]

Here's some pics from lunchtime today. You can see a lot of steel work is happening on the top of the museum building. There's a new gazebo-like structure up there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17...7627316395321/

Awesome. I believe that is the dome of the performance theatre / auditorium.


There also seems to be a lot going on on the cultural centre dome (pyramid type structure). Nothing changing at the macro level quite yet there. Prep to add glass?

While it is on the far reaches of the images, looks like there is also a lot of complex steel structures on the backside of the cultural centre room also. Perhaps for the unique and diverse skylights there?

It will be interesting to see how the front 'niche' in the cultural centre's prayer hall turns out. This is the portion of the circular wall where there is a gap. Here is what the front wall in the recent Dushanbe centre looks like:

REF: http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/200...ntre-dushanbe/

[JimBowie]

Tonight's view from the balcony.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17...ream/lightbox/

[walli]

One thing I've noticed about Maki's designs, such as we see below in the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, is that they are thoughtful about how the roof looks from above also. Many designers would simply have exposed HVAC and other utilities clearly visible, but that is not the case in the Ottawa building. I'm hoping the same is the case for the museum and centre in toronto, and if they do put some utilities up there, it is in a contained fashion such that Jim Bowie's view remains a good one

[gristle]

The Ottawa building is a gem. It deserves to be viewed up close. It's a model of elegant simplicity.

[cruzin4u]

Taken today:

[barit]

Should really look stunning once all of the stonework has been finished.

[walli]

You can really see in this image how the profile of the inner frame for the glass is quite a contrast from that of the outside. On the outside it is quite linear, where as the inside glass follows a curved profile, almost creating a tent / marquee type feeling on the inside. Will be interesting to see how lighting is also implemented here. It will be quite the feeling for someone to go in the first time, as it will appear quite different from what they may have imagined from the outside.

From CHARLES CORREA ASSOCIATES via :

Should really look stunning once all of the stonework has been finished.

Yeah the materials planned, I believe, are all very high quality. The glass, stone and metal (EG in the museum dome, which contrasts the cultural centre's glass dome) should all work together to make a stunning and very unique complex.