No photography is allowed in the prayer hall, but having finally been there, I am happy to report that it is a truly stupendous space. One more exterior pic - apologies for the dust mote:

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AoD
 

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Great to see you yesterday, AoD! It's a fantastic site, one that I never really appreciated until I saw the view from the Patrons' Lounge.

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As some will know, the park space was formally inaugurated May 25th afternoon after Premier Wynne signed a broad agreement with the Aga Khan earlier that day. There was a lot of media attention, but having looked through the mass of tweets about that day including the opening, I pulled together a storify. About 3/4 of it are about the opening, and the first 1/4 is about the agreement (it is mostly chronological).

I don't know how to embed storifies here, but here is a link (instead of flipping through like one would do on twitter, you need to scroll down instead - not as cool, but same info). Enjoy!
https://storify.com/aswalli/toronto-connected

The photo memes with quotes from the Aga Khan's speech are really quite interesting. I very much enjoyed the entirety his speech at the inauguration. Below is an excerpt where he talks about gardens:
The Garden has for many centuries served as a central element in Muslim culture. The Holy Qur’an, itself, portrays the Garden as a central symbol of a spiritual ideal – a place where human creativity and Divine majesty are fused, where the ingenuity of humanity and the beauty of nature are productively connected. Gardens are a place where the ephemeral meets the eternal, and where the eternal meets the hand of man.

The tradition of Islamic Gardens places an emphasis on human stewardship, our responsibility to nature and to protect the natural world. We see that principle expressed in the disciplined use of geometric form – framing the power and mystery of nature.

And, of course, the Garden of ancient tradition, like the Garden here today, is a place where – whatever difficult moments may come our way – we can always find, in the flow of refreshing water, a reminder of Divine blessing.

As we walk through this place we can feel a deep sense of connection with those who walked through similar gardens centuries ago. And, by renewing our connection with the past, we can also connect more effectively with one another – and, indeed, with those who will walk these paths in the future.
Click to expand...

Read the entire speech here:
http://www.akdn.org/
 
For those so inclined, a video of the Aga Khan Park opening is now available. It includes the two speeches, one of the Premier, and the second (which I quoted in part above) of the Aga Khan. I was very pleased to see the acknowledgement of Sonja Bata, and her visible joy was amazing to watch also!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waC75SJPEnM
 
I went last week for Doors Open, so I figured I'd share some photos as well:

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre by Marc, on Flickr
 
It is.

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I finally made it up during Doors Open as well. It really is as beautiful in person as it is in photos. There's a remarkable cohesion between two very different buildings, and it integrates minimal modernism with highly ornamented surfaces really, really well. That hand-carved plaster wall in Marcanadian's fourth photo is really something! Apparently there's another wall to come. Great to see that kind of attention to fine detail.
 
The Bata building would have looked great next to this. Too bad it wasn't preserved.

Is the park open at night or does it close at a specific time?
 
I would encourage some of the (few) remaining detractors to visit. An interesting opportunity might be the event on July 5th:

Via www.AgaKhanPark.org :

Reflections: Celebrating our Cultures and Communities

5 July, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM - The Aga Khan Park is delighted to invite you to its inaugural public event "Reflections", featuring the Pan Am Games lantern.

The afternoon will be filled with unique experiences inspired by the Silk Road. Come journey through the Park and see children engage in lantern making, experience invigorating yoga sessions, music & dance in the Park, culinary sensations, a souk filled with distinctive artisanal objects, complimentary chai kiosks, floating artists and much more!

The evening will commence with an array of diverse performances, including Tyco drums as you await the arrival of the Pan Am lantern. Enjoy the lantern being carried through the Park during the magical hour of dusk.

This day will leave you inspired with many colourful memories of the Aga Khan Park.
 
Interesting TEDxCalgary interview with museum director and CEO Dr. Henry Kim. This is somewhat tangential, thought the architecture in context of museum mandate may be relevant. Long video, but there are some timestamps in the comment section.

 
Many of you would really enjoy architecture centric tour they offer of the museum building, its about a hour long but really emphasizes the various decisions made by the architect(s) in terms of building layout and design.
 
Stills from a drone video I shot with a friend today:

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What are your thought on Aga Khan's property tax-exemption request?

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http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/10/30/aga-khan-museum-wants-break-from-331700-tax-bill.html

Toronto Star: Aga Khan Museum wants break from $331,700 tax bill
The Aga Khan Foundation will ask City Council for tax exempt status. The ROM, TSO, COC and TIFF have it.

By: Jessica Smith Cross Metro News, Published on Fri Oct 30 2015

Facing a whopping property tax bill, the Aga Khan Museum and Ismaili Centre is seeking tax exempt status from the City of Toronto.

The museum opened in September 2014 on a large parcel of land near Eglinton Ave. E. and Don Mills Rd.

City staff have assessed the property, post-development, at $90.9 million. That translates into a $331,700 annual property tax bill.

Because the Ismaili Centre is a place of worship, $43.1 million of the $90.9 million is already tax exempt. The Aga Khan Foundation is asking city council and the provincial government to legally exempt the remainder.

There’s a precedent: Toronto’s large cultural institutions, including the Art of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum, were made tax exempt by a bill passed at Queen’s Park, with council’s assent.

Canada's National Ballet School, the Canadian Opera Company, the George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, the National Ballet of Canada and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra also have municipal tax exemptions.

The Toronto International Film Festival was also granted tax exempt status for the TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre in 2014, said Councillor Michael Thompson, chair of Toronto's economic development committee.

In TIFF’s case, Thompson said the city is forgoing about $1 million in tax revenue, but gaining much more in economic development and international exposure.

“We don’t do it frivolously,” he said. “This creates a huge economic impact for the citizens of Toronto, it’s not as though we’re giving money away.”

Thompson was in favour of TIFF’s tax exemption, and supports the Aga Khan Foundation’s request as well.

“The Aga Khan Museum is not dissimilar, it’s a facility that brings tourists from around the world and worldwide acclaim to Toronto,” he said.

City council will consider the Aga Khan Foundation’s appeal Tuesday.
 
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