simply Dan said:
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I was in Delhi a few weeks ago and was able to see the magnificent work Aga Khan has done on the grounds of Humayun's Tomb - absolutely incredible!
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Awesome! And nice picture too!

An interesting tid-bit about Humayun's Tomb, and connecting him to things in history others might be aware of.

1. Humayun's Tomb is the first example of the chahr bhag (traditional four quadrant) garden in India.
2. Humayun was Shah Jehan's father, and this tomb was created before the taj mahal, which was subsequently commissioned by Shah Jehan, designed and built by Persian (Irani) architects and craftsman. Persian architecture can of course be found all over Iran, but also in some parts of modern day Iraq, Afghanistan (such as Herat) and most certainly in Uzbekistan (Registan Square in Samarkand being a brilliant example).
3. Humayun's father was Babur, who first went into India from Kabul, but was buried back in his country of origin. Babur's Gardens in Kabul also were rehabilitated by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

There is a clear sense of cultural respect, environment, and creating / supporting spaces and communities with all of the AKTC projects. In fact, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (the largest architecture award in the world) presents prizes to projects and not to buildings or architects only. The impact on community of a project is as or important as the constructions themselves. Architecture is about society and people in the end. Places for meeting, gathering, learning, pondering and questioning. I hope people are catching the connection back to the Wynford Park project!

Two more days to catch the exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre.
 
walli: To what extent ( if at all ) can the generous, landscaped exterior spaces at the Wynford Park development be adapted to cold climate conditions, when it comes to fulfilling the "meeting and gathering" aspect of the mandate? Or will everything move indoors? Is there interior landscaping too?

Dan: Please, please bring your Mum! Let's have another Victoria Day garden party.
 
Urban Shocker said:
walli: To what extent ( if at all ) can the generous, landscaped exterior spaces at the Wynford Park development be adapted to cold climate conditions, when it comes to fulfilling the "meeting and gathering" aspect of the mandate? Or will everything move indoors? Is there interior landscaping too?
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It is a good question, given of course this is in Toronto, and there will be cold days and there will be snowy days. To respond, I've opened up my copy of "Under the Eaves of Architecture" and will transcribe some comments from there. Much of this doesn't address your question directly, but some does. Errors in transcription are mine:

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"Our vision for the project is one that captures the essence of the Islamic garden and translates it into an expression that reflects its context and contemporary age. Embracing the five senses as the means to reach the soul, every space and every garden reimbued with the delicate sensations that we seem to have lost in this fast-paced era. The ephemeral and the eternal are both essential to our composition of spaces. Shadows, light, petals, leaves and water in motion are complemented by the solidity and purity of created forms. All is not at once apparent; the garden reveals itself slowly to the visitor, who experiences hidden aspects with serendipity"

"After I won the competition, His Highness gave me a list of places to visit around the world. 'Once you have visited these places, let us meet again,' he said. I have never been to India and I found the Gardens of Humayun's Tomb and Fatehpur Sikri remarkable."

"I realized after these visits that what the Aga Khan is doing is not for now, it is for generations to come. I understood that anything I do for him has to last as long as possible."

"I think that His Highness is happiest when he discusses the gardens. He really wants us to reinterpret the Islamic garden in a contemporary way. We did not copy any garden - it is more about what you feel and smell and hear in an Islamic garden. What it is that I love about Alhambra is the sound of water and the smell of jasmine. I wanted to use a very contemporary language. The architecture of the buildings is very contemporary. The garden must also reflect its context as well - a place covered with snow. I like this challenge - how to reinterpret the Islamic garden."

"In one preliminary scheme we created translucent cast acrylic elements with water flowing over the edges. Covered with snow, they would appear like lit ice cubes. The edges would have been angled out so that freezing ice falls off the edge of the basins"

This idea was abandoned in favour of solid granite basin walls because Djurovic could not vouch for the long-term reliability of acrylic slabs, which tend to turn yellow with time. Within the newly designed granite basins, their edges still angled out to allow expanding ice to fall over the edges, Djurovic places what he calls "steel lilies" that create turbulence in the water when it is liquid, and are heated in winter to produce steam and the continuing sound of water in movement.​
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In looking at one of the site plans I've seen, I noted something like 20 different gardens of a huge variety and with many physical elements that would be very interesting and unique in the different seasons. I believe what we've seen in the drawings released is just a small snip-it of what we'll get. This is quite the gift!!!

Pod cast with Vladimir Djurovic, International ASLA (talks about outdoor spaces, water, planning, design, and even talks about the Wynford Park project a pinch near the end - entire clip (10 min) is interesting):
http://odeo.com/audio/17178313/view

Interior Design Magazine Interview with Vladimir Djurovic, who is the Wynford Park landscape architect (excerpt - "For the Aga Khan property, I had to figure out how to make a garden with a water feature that would look good when the ground was covered with snow. I try to absorb the spirit of a place wherever I go, so I can interpret it in a new way. My design language evolves constantly."):
http://www.interiordesign.net/id_article/CA6355730/id?stt=000&text=befitting
 
Details about the days / times at the Ontario Science Centre:
http://www.theismaili.org/dl.asp?id=951

Article about the time it was at Metro Hall in downtown:
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/265/Historic-Cities-Programme-continues-its-Canadian-tour-in-Toronto

BTW - I wouldn't be surprised if seeing this exhibit is free (may want to call the OSC). Reason I say this is that the Aga Khan Foundation's "Bridges that Unite" exhibit just came through Calgary at the university's Nickle Arts museum. They made arrangements in that case to buy out admission charges for the museum for two weeks while that exhibit was in place! While they wouldn't do that for the OSC (way too expensive) I wouldn't be surprised if it is in a space with controlled access that was free? Not sure.

NOTE - it is only on today till 2pm, and then its stint in Toronto is over.
 
There is one more chance to catch the exhibition in Toronto, but it will require a couple hour drive:

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http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/342164
Historic cities exhibit opens
April 26, 2008
RECORD STAFF

CAMBRIDGE

The Aga Khan Historic Cities Program is on view at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture this weekend.

The travelling exhibition shows the major restoration projects in Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan and India paid for by the Aga Khan. The exhibit can be seen at the school on Melville Street today from noon to 8 p.m., tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A panel discussion will be held tomorrow from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with Rick Haldenby, director of the school, and Toronto-based architects Bruce Kuwabara and Janna Levitt.
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NOTE - Getting a chance to watch and listen to the panel discussion in addition to seeing the exhibit might warrant the drive and time, particularly for those interested in architecture, planning, and the impact good design can have on community.
 
I saw a couple of renderings when I went to visit the office of Moriyama and Teshima for Doors Open. The auditorium is very interesting. Unfortuently, I didn't take any pics.
 
3xotic said:
With the greatest happiness, the Aga Khan will be laying the foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili centre and Aga Khan Museum on May 22nd, 2008.
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walli said:
There is an April Fools PDF that started being distributed on the Internet last night.
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3xotic said:
sorry that date is confirmed. Until then, sit back and enjoy your campagne, and we will be giving a toast to you when the Foundation Ceremony is laid in May.
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Hey 3xotic - Did that happen? I would have expected more news if the Aga Khan was visiting! I think you deleted some of your original posts so I can't see all you had written - but luckily I had quoted you in a prior post so we still have the date you had mentioned before.
 
smuncky said:
I saw a couple of renderings when I went to visit the office of Moriyama and Teshima for Doors Open. The auditorium is very interesting. Unfortuently, I didn't take any pics.
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If I recall correctly, the ceiling / roof of the auditorium in the museum is a multi-faceted metal structure that will interplay with the multi-faceted glass roof of the main area of the Ismaili centre. Would love to hear more details if you can recall!
 
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