"This is a rare chance to step inside one of only seven Ismaili Centers in the world — and the only one in the United States. The center is described as a place open to everyone who seeks knowledge, reflection, and dialogue. It's a new gathering space for the whole city."
Houston's Ismaili Center — the first in the United States — is opening to the public with a free event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Visitors can tour the 150,000-square-foot, five-story center near Buffalo Bayou Park, watch dance performances, see live music and art installations, and walk 9 acres of gardens. Food trucks and a hot chocolate bar will also be on site. The center is open to all Houstonians.
After nearly 20 years in the making, Houston's historic Ismaili Center — the first in the United States — is opening its doors to the greater Houston community.
Ismaili Center Houston will host a free opening event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, when Houstonians can tour the massive cultural center and see dance performances, live music and art installations.
Guests can also walk around the center's 9 acres of gardens and courtyards. The center will have food trucks and a hot chocolate bar.
"Our longstanding partnership with the Ismaili community has always been rooted in a shared belief in the power of landscape to foster understanding," said Thomas Woltz, Senior Principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, one of the designers of the center. "In designing the Ismaili Center, Houston, we drew on centuries-old landscape principles and the ecological richness of Texas to create a campus that invites connection, curiosity, and a sense of shared purpose."
The five-story center is 150,000 square feet and sits on 11 acres of land at the southeast corner of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard, near Buffalo Bayou Park.
Ismailis are a branch of Shia Muslims who advocate for pluralism, social progress and service to societies. Ismailis are led by Aga Khan V, who took over as leader after the death of his father in February.
City officials and prominent Ismaili Muslim leaders held an opening ceremony in November. Houston Mayor John Whitmire praised the center as a "beacon of light surrounded by some of our most treasured neighborhoods and cultural institutions."
His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V stood next to Whitmire in the opening ceremony.
"This building may be called an Ismaili Center," he said at the time, "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.”
There are six other Ismaili Centers around the world – in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver along with Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lisbon, Portugal; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; and London, England.
The Houston center was designed by Farshid Moussavi Architecture and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, in partnership with AKT II as engineers and DLR Group as architect and engineer of record. The grounds include art exhibitions, a black box theater, a café, classrooms and a prayer hall for Ismaili Muslims, among other features.
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• Visit the Ismaili Center Houston at Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard on Saturday
• Arrive early to allow time for a building tour and the gardens
• Watch for live dance performances and music during your visit
• Stop by the food trucks or hot chocolate bar for a break
• Share the event with neighbors — it's free and open to everyone
• Read the full Houston Public Media article for more background on the center
