The center serves as a community hub for the Shia Ismaili Muslim community as a place of prayer, social gatherings, cultural events and intellectual pursuits, according to the center's website. It is also open to the public.
What we know
The Houston center is only the seventh of its kind worldwide and the first in the U.S. It will be approximately 11 acres and offer amenities such as education facilities, a library, a black box theater, a cafe, exhibition spaces, gardens and green spaces.
“The Center’s aim is to foster mutual understanding between different communities and cultures—to invite Ismailis and non-Ismailis to connect through shared events such as lectures, conferences, music recitals and art exhibitions that nurture curiosity, celebrate difference and encourage conversation,” Omar Samji, spokesperson for the Ismaili Center, said in a Sept. 25 news release.
The 150,000-square-foot building was designed to intertwine tradition and past wisdom, with future aspirations and modern technologies, Emily Moore, principal and senior designer at DLR Group, said. It will feature two side atriums that connect to Persian verandas, public artwork by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, a garden oasis and architectural surfaces adorned with geometric patterns inspired by Islamic traditions.
“From the beginning, the bar was set very high," Hanif Kara, OBE, director of AKT II, said in the release. "When you consider the intent and purpose of this project—a 100-year building—it’s very difficult not to see it as something special. Achieving this level of quality requires a bold client, the right team and extraordinary collaboration.”
The timeline
The project originally broke ground in 2021 along Montrose Boulevard and Allen Parkway and is now nearing completion. As of Sept. 30, project officials stated that there is no firm opening date, but the center is expected to be completed in late 2025.
- Opening in late 2025
- 2323 Allen Parkway, Houston
- www.the.ismaili/us/en/spaces/ismaili-center-houston
