Ismaili Center, Houston

The Ismaili Center Houston will be the seventh Ismaili Centre worldwide, the first in the United States and the third in North America, after Vancouver and Toronto.

## Establishment

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Aga Khan Foundation USA has owned the eleven-acre site since 2006.[1] The establishment of an Ismaili Center was announced by His Highness the Aga Khan during his Golden Jubilee visit to the USA in 2008.

A design preview was held on November 15, 2021,[2] where architect Farshid Moussavi discussed the project with KTRK-TV’s Melanie Lawson.[3]

In July 2022, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. announced that it had begun construction. As of this date, no formal ground-breaking had taken place but construction is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.[3] A topping out ceremony was held in October 2023 with Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner.[4]

## Architecture and design

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Designed by London-based Farshid Moussavi Architecture,[5] the Center will be a contemporary interpretation of traditional Persian ornamentation,[2] including ceramic mosaics, and screens drawn from various Islamic traditions.[6] The center’s façade will be a combination of different types of stone and steel encased in concrete. The building will feature a series of “eivans,” the Persian word for verandas, which will provide shaded venues for social gatherings at the center. The eivans will supported by 49 columns reminiscent of those used in Persepolis and 17th century palaces in Isfahan, Persia.[1]

The 10 acres around the center will be transformed into lush gardens by Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.[3] The gardens will include tree canopies, fountains, shaded footpaths, flowerbeds, lawns and walkways.[7]

## See also

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* Islam in Houston

## References

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1. ^ a b "Sneak peek: New details released on design of first-in-nation Ismaili cultural center". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
2. ^ "Press Release - ISMAILI CENTER TO BE HOUSTON'S NEWEST CULTURAL ASSET" (PDF). The.Ismaili. 15 November 2021.
3. ^ a b c Cowen, Diane (2021-11-15). "Renderings show America's first Ismaili Center will be an architectural jewel for Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
4. ^ "Mayor Sylvester Turner Celebrated at The Ismaili Center's Grand". www.kake.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
5. ^ Waite, Richard (2021-11-16). "Farshid Moussavi reveals designs for Houston Ismaili Centre contest". The Architects’ Journal. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
6. ^ "Plans announced for Houston to house America's first Ismaili Center". khou.com. November 16, 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
7. ^ Glentzer 0, Molly (2021-11-23). "Houston's Lush, Welcoming Ismaili Center Will Be a Spiritual Retreat for All". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2021-11-24.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

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Religion in the Houston area

Christianity|

| Churches|

* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston
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* Annunciation Greek Orthodox
* Antioch Missionary Baptist
* Christ Church Cathedral
* First Presbyterian
* Grace Community
* Lakewood
* Second Baptist
* Sts. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox
* Houston Texas Temple (Mormonism)
* Trinity Episcopal
* Windsor Village United Methodist

|

K-12 ed.|

* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
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* Bay Area Christian
* Christian Life Center Academy
* The Covenant Preparatory
* Episcopal High
* Faith West Academy
* Family Christian Academy
* Fort Bend Christian Academy
* Grace Christian Acad.
* Houston Christian HS
* Imani
* Lutheran South
* Memorial Private High
* Northland Christian
* Oaks Adventist Christian
* Presbyterian
* River Oaks Baptist
* Rosehill Christian
* Second Baptist
* St. Francis Episcopal
* St. Stephen's Episcopal
* St. Thomas' Episcopal
* The Woodlands Christian Acad.
* Westbury Christian
* Yellowstone Acad.

| Closed|

* Lutheran North
* North Houston Baptist

|

Tertiary ed.|

* Houston Christian University
* University of St. Thomas
* Bay Ridge Christian College

Judaism|

| Congregations|

* Beth Israel
* Beth Jacob
* Beth Yeshurun
* B'nai Israel

|

Schools|

* Emery/Weiner
* Robert M. Beren Academy
* Torah Day School of Houston

History|

* Galveston Movement

Media|

* Jewish Herald-Voice

Museums|

* Holocaust Museum Houston

Islam|

* Islamic Society of Greater Houston
* Islamic Education Institute of Texas/Darul Arqam Schools
* Ismaili Center Houston
* Al-Hadi School of Accelerative Learning
* Baitus Samee Mosque
* Iman Academy

Hinduism|

* BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston
* Hindu Temple of The Woodlands

This list is incomplete.

29°45′33″N 95°23′30″W﻿ / ﻿29.7593°N 95.3917°W﻿ / 29.7593; -95.3917
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