Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

The five-story structure, years in the making, was the site of an opening ceremony Thursday that included Houston Mayor John Whitmire and His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the worldwide spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims.

Overlooking Buffalo Bayou, Houston's Ismaili Center hosted an opening ceremony Thursday as the first such center in the United States and the seventh worldwide. It’s been nearly 20 years in the making and serves as an ambassadorial building for the Shia Ismaili branch of Islam.

The 150,000-square foot center is expected to open to the public in December, with welcome events planned for Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.

In a ceremony Thursday morning, Houston Mayor John Whitmire stood alongside the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V.

"The City of Houston is proud to welcome the Ismaili Center, a place where people from every background can come together in dialogue, understanding, and learning," Whitmire said in a news release. "Now that it's complete, it stands as a new monument along the Allen Parkway corridor, and a beacon of light surrounded by some of our most treasured neighborhoods and cultural institutions. The Ismaili Center truly reflects the best of Houston's spirit: our diversity, our compassion, and our commitment to community. It's a place that invites all Houstonians to come together and celebrate what connects us."

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. It includes several acres of gardens and courtyards.

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.

"The relationships between Ismailis and the communities in which they live have always been grounded in understanding and common purpose," Aga Khan V said in a news release. "Today, we honor that tradition, extending the hand of friendship to all, regardless of background or faith. This building may be called an Ismaili Center, 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.

Welcome events for the community are scheduled for Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.

The center was designed by architect Farshid Moussavi, with Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects serving as the landscape architect. The grounds include art exhibitions, a black box theater, a café, classrooms and a prayer hall for Ismaili Muslims, among other features.