Toronto Aga Khan Museum + Ismaili Centre | ?m | ?s | Aga Khan Dev. | Maki and Associates

This is quite the comprehensive photo set from September 20th by someone named mehdi esmail on Google's picasaweb. Looks like they have started working on the North side of the AKM, applying the black coloured sealant. The other thing that is clear in these photos is that when looking at the buildings it is hard to gauge perspective given the macro-design of the buildings and site elements. Only when people are standing near do realize that these are actually quite large structures!

https://picasaweb.google.com/104846363423995421569/AgaKhanWynfordParkConstructionProjects13#
 
walli said:
This is quite the comprehensive photo set from September 20th by someone named mehdi esmail on Google's picasaweb. Looks like they have started working on the North side of the AKM, applying the black coloured sealant. The other thing that is clear in these photos is that when looking at the buildings it is hard to gauge perspective given the macro-design of the buildings and site elements. Only when people are standing near do realize that these are actually quite large structures!

https://picasaweb.google.com/104846363423995421569/AgaKhanWynfordParkConstructionProjects13#
Click to expand...

By just looking at those pictures, it's clear that this complex is a lot bigger than I realized. It looks really good. I can't wait to see it finished. I bet the museum will be something special. Look at that huge, dramatic entrance way.
 
Great photos, Jim. Keep up the good work. This project is just stunning--and will prove to have even more cultural worth, and greater international stature that a giant Ferris wheel. The architecture is certainly top notch and, frankly, exceeds any of the big museum rebuilds that preceded it. Once the Eglinton line is up and running this could prove to be one of the most popular and best attended of any our big cultural institutions. This is project is definitely a huge feather in this city's cap.
 
Irishmonk said:
Great photos, Jim. Keep up the good work. This project is just stunning--and will prove to have even more cultural worth, and greater international stature that a giant Ferris wheel. The architecture is certainly top notch and, frankly, exceeds any of the big museum rebuilds that preceded it. Once the Eglinton line is up and running this could prove to be one of the most popular and best attended of any our big cultural institutions. This is project is definitely a huge feather in this city's cap.
Click to expand...

Not to belittle this project, but the likes of Transformation AGO did produce amazing results. Good thing we'll have the Eglinton rapid transit line to make the Aga Khan Museum more accessible, but it's still relatively out of the way for a cultural institution.
 
junctionist said:
Not to belittle this project, but the likes of Transformation AGO did produce amazing results. Good thing we'll have the Eglinton rapid transit line to make the Aga Khan Museum more accessible, but it's still relatively out of the way for a cultural institution.
Click to expand...

Don Mills and Eglinton out of the way?? It's 10 minutes from downtown via the DVP. It's 15 minutes from the Danforth Subway, via the Don Mills bus, 20 minutes from the Yonge line, via the Eglinton bus and just a few minutes south of the 401. That makes it pretty accessible. Granted the Eglinton LRT will make even more so.
 
Aga Khan museum is not far at all. You'll have the science center, Shops at don mills, and aga khan museum all pretty close to each other, i hope these developments influence this area to add more things to further give it character, maybe some art, distinctive signs that let you know your at don mills area or something.
 
My feeling is that some maybe underestimating the draw of the museum. By this I specifically mean the calibre of the museum - and to reiterate prior mentions, it will be the largest Islamic art museum in North America. The 'cannon of medicine' manuscript is an item of the highest calibre and of significance to global medical history - and that is but one example. The fact that the Getty Museum director from LA stepped down to take on the parallel role at the Aga Khan Museum is telling. Additionally, it is quite awesome the number and calibre of museum partnerships that have already been garnered by the Aga Khan Museum, as demonstrated by the long list of museums where samples from the collection have been shown. I think that is a glimpse of some of the collections that will then be travelling form those other museums, for temporary exhibitions in Toronto. It is truly going to be an international calibre institution!

Oh - and here is the latest night-shot by Jim off of Flickr:
6190269831_1f71172e45_b.jpg
 
I think this is a great project and an asset to the city; however, I don't think you can dismiss the idea that the location won't have a negative impact on attendance. Many, if not most cities have great institutions that are not centrally located. So I see nothing wrong with the location of the Aga Khan Museum. But let's face the facts, when you go to London England everyone goes to the centrally located museums and galleries but only a fraction of people go to say Greenwich in the east end, a campus with 4 or more significant cultural institutions. Greenwich is about as far away from central London as the Aga Khan Museum is from City Hall here in Toronto.
 
Last edited:
TrickyRicky said:
I think this is a great project and an asset to the city; however, I don't think you can dismiss the idea that the location won't have a negative impact on attendance. Many, if not most cities have great institutions that are not centrally located. So I see nothing wrong with the location of the Aga Khan Museum. But let's face the facts, when you go to London England everyone goes to the centrally located museums and galleries but only a fraction of people go to say Greenwich in the east end, a campus with 4 or more significant cultural institutions.
Click to expand...

It is a fair comment. That being said, while the British Museum is not exactly right beside an underground station (which is odd for London as there is an underground station 'everywhere') the quality still does bring the people. On the other hand, I've been to the V&A (which is right across London's Ismaili Centre, as it turns out) multiple times, but the British Museum only once.

The Eglinton line will be important no matter how you cut it. A resurrection of the Don Mills line would be nice too, but perhaps too much to hope for in the short term.

TrickyRicky said:
Greenwich is about as far away from central London as the Aga Khan Museum is from City Hall here in Toronto.
Click to expand...

There is a density massing difference IE there is a large proportion of commuting Torontonians that live North and East of Eglinton/DVP as compared to commuting Londoners living South and East of Greenwich.

With respect to the mention of 'commuting' Torontonians, I'm referring to the number of DVP cars. According to the City's numbers based on 2002-2006 surveys, DVP at Eglinton gets ~150,000 cars per day (total of the two directions) which is a staggering number for roads in most cities!
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/publications/brochures/2006volmap.pdf
 
Last edited:
It is undeniable that having a stop on the Crosstown line in the future will bring more tourists to the Aga Khan Museum than the number which will visit before the new line arrives. The same applies for the Science Centre: more people will visit once the Crosstown opens.

That said, the current lack of rapid transit to the Science Centre has not turned it into a ghost town, has it?

What some people may be thinking now is that the AKM may not have a broad enough appeal to generate high visitation. We will see. How well the Aga Khan Foundation uses the media to transmit their message will play a part in it. I believe that if the promise of the renderings is fulfilled by the finished product, the AKM will be successful.

42
 
In addition to that, the Ismaili Centre portion of the project will be well used by the community, which is has roots in the area; and as a private museum, it is less sensitive to attendance figures than our other cultural institutions, which depends on admission fees as a major part of their operating income.

One thing I do have to say - I am truly impressed by High Highness the Aga Khan's committment to the project, in the form of his frequent site visits. Quite remarkable. Also to be noted is Fumihiko Maki's well known attention to architectural details in his projects.

AoD
 
When this is completed, I have no doubt that it will be featured in every major architectural journal and achieve the same critical acclaim as OCAD. It just seems like it's one of those projects.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top