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

[walli]

Quite a large set (101 images) of recent construction pictures by someone named Mehdi Esmail. While from far away it looks like it is getting close, the close in pictures here show many details still being worked.

https://picasaweb.google.com/104846363423995421569/AgaKhanWynfordParkConstructionProjects18#

The pictures of people working on the entry area reveal the scale of the museum building. Pretty impressive for being only two floors!

 

[Urban Shocker]

When does it open? Is there a date?

 

[walli]

When does it open? Is there a date?

The museum web-site has listed a 2013 opening for some time now, but does not provide any more granularity than that. Given the high profile groundbreaking ceremony, I'd speculate that it may depend on alignment of some busy schedules, in addition to everything being ready.

 

[walli]

In this recent picture (from JB's flickr stream) it looks like there is another layer of material being applied to the theatre dome:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobby17/7458069888/sizes/k/in/photostream/

Also looks like the cladding around the corners / edges of the angled steel lattice / skylights is getting finished up. Looks sharp!

 

[klb86]

Today

 

[current]

Photos from July 3

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Thanks for the updates klb and current. I can't overstate how eager I am to see the project come to completion - haven't really felt this way since the heady days of the "cultural renaissance".

AoD

 

[Urban Shocker]

I may have missed it, but has an opening date been set yet?

 

[walli]

I may have missed it, but has an opening date been set yet?

2013, but no specific date yet.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Thanks for answering my question ( inadvertently asked twice ), walli. The ROM centenary is on March 19th 2014, and I was curious whether the Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre opening might conflict.

 

[walli]

Coming along nicely!

https://picasaweb.google.com/104846363423995421569/AgaKhanWynfordParkConstructionProjects19#5767926369561082066
Photos by mehdi esmail via picasa.

 

[northto]

Thanks for the shots, walli. I think the cladding is a lovely colour and shade - very sandstone.

 

[walli]

very sandstone.

I don't think this white looks like sandstone at all.

Consider the museum's white:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104846363423995421569/AgaKhanWynfordParkConstructionProjects19#5767926369561082066

with the Vancouver Ismaili Centre's sandstone:
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/858/Gallery-architecture-of-the-Ismaili-Centre-Burnaby

While I'm not sure if it is as bright, the cladding of the Toronto projects looks much closer to the Ottawa Delegation's neoparies cladding:
http://raic.org/honours_and_awards/awards_gg_medals/2012recipients/ismailiimamat_e.htm

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

It doesn't look like neoparies or sandstone. My guess is white marble given the texture. It's stunning nonetheless - very much "an object in the landscape" kind of architecture that the original Bata HQ was. Thanks for posting the pic walli.

AoD

 

[northto]

I imagine you're both right. Don't know what the material is, but I enjoy the sandy puttiness in walli's photo. It strikes me as having depth and being changeable, a refreshing change from ubiquitous Toronto beige-y stucco and concrete.