Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre

The Ismaili Centre is a religious, social and spiritual building for the Ismaili Community, and its most notable feature is the prayer hall, with its spectacular crystalline frosted glass dome. The design draws upon the traditions of Islamic architecture and incorporates these into contemporary, modern design. The centre includes a raised atrium lounge with its glass walls that stretch to the upper floor to another skylight. The beautiful Aga Khan Museum opened to the public in 2014 and promotes knowledge and understanding of Islamic civilization. It houses a remarkable collection of past and present Islamic artifacts from the collections of His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan, and the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. The building consists of two large galleries, exhibition spaces, a reference library, a 350-seat theatre, and classrooms. The museum is part of a complex that includes a 6.8 hectare park, formal gardens, and space shared with the Ismaili Centre. Natural light is a salient feature of the museum’s design and can be seen in its patterned glass walls and large aluminum paneled skylights, which are perforated with delicate hexagonal openings to exude soft natural light into the exhibition areas.