Sussex Drive building first in world to represent Aga Khan

When the glass-domed Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat opens in August, it will be one of the few buildings along Sussex Drive that will not be surrounded by a security fence, Maria Cook writes.

by MARIA COOK
The Ottawa Citizen

Monday, March 31, 2008

CREDIT: Bruno Schlumberger, The Ottawa Citizen
Located between King Edward Avenue and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the two-storey Delegation building promises to be a landmark along the ceremonial Sussex Drive route.

Aga Khan, the prince of architecture, was honoured for his work in a field that can 'improve the quality of life' and 'mirror the plurality of cultural traditions.'

When the glass-domed Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building opens in August, it will be one of the few buildings along Sussex Drive not surrounded by a security fence. Instead, it will sit in a landscaped park that will be open to the public.

"We wanted the building to be quite inviting and for people to approach it readily," says Zool Samji, chairman of the project development agency. "This is a place where people should feel comfortable coming in to ask questions."

Designed by renowned Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, with Moriyama & Teshima of Toronto, the $50-million building is the first in the world designed to represent the Aga Khan. A resident of France, he is the spiritual leader of the world's Shia Ismaili Muslims, including about 80,000 in Canada.

Followers hope Prince Karim Aga Khan will visit Ottawa this summer to open the facility, which will house the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private philanthropic organizations in the world.

The network's agencies, which include the Ottawa-based Aga Khan Foundation Canada, spend about $300 million U.S. a year on economic development, health, education and culture in developing countries.

For example, it helped set up Roshan, the largest cellphone provider in post-Taliban Afghanistan. Roshan has become one of the largest private employers and taxpayers.

While the Delegation is not a public building, its friendly gestures help to address the anxiety and irritation that city-dwellers increasingly feel at erosion of public space and loss of free and easy access.

Not long ago, New Edinburgh residents expressed concern that Sussex Drive, home of the prime minister and the Governor General, has become dominated by high-security buildings such as the embassies of the United States, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, as well as the former Ottawa city hall, under federal government ownership.

Without public access and lined with fortresses, the street loses its historic function as a ceremonial route. Located between King Edward Avenue and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the two-storey Delegation building promises to be a landmark along the route.

The Aga Khan requested that Mr. Maki take inspiration from the angular and mysterious qualities of a rock crystal.

The simple rectilinear structure rests on a granite podium and features an asymmetric, crystalline dome, a huge interior atrium to host public events, and an exterior courtyard.

The façades on Sussex and Boteler Street will be clad in white neoparies, a modern material made of crystallized glass that produces a marble-like texture.

"It changes colour," says Mr. Samji. "When the sun becomes orange, this building becomes orange."

The building occupies about a third of the one-hectare site and the rest will be landscaping, walkways and driveways. "People are welcome to walk around the grounds," says Mr. Samji, adding visitors can also use the library for information about the Aga Khan Development Network.

The Delegation is one of four Aga Khan building projects under way in Canada. Organizers described their progress at a press briefing in Toronto.

In Ottawa, it will be 15 months before construction starts on the former Canadian war museum on Sussex Drive where the Aga Khan plans to house the Global Centre for Pluralism.

The Canadian government has pledged a $30-million endowment, supplemented by $10 million from the Aga Khan for operating costs. The Aga Khan Development Network will provide $30 million for rehabilitation of the leased building.

The centre is to be a research and education institution dedicated to fostering pluralism in developing countries.

The project will involve major restoration of the heritage building, including cleanup of asbestos, updating the electrical system and construction of new interior walls.

"It's a fabulous building," says Mr. Samji. "The difficulty right now is the asbestos and how to deal with it."

They are currently evaluating the state of the building and seeking Canadian architects with experience in heritage preservation to make a master plan.

Organizers envision landscaping the courtyard in front and opening space in the back, which faces the Ottawa River, but has been used as a service area. "It's a really nice place for people to go," says Mr. Samji.

In Toronto, the Aga Khan organization is spending more than $200 million to develop a 17-acre site in Don Mills. It is building an Ismaili community centre and place of worship, designed by Indian architect Charles Correia, as well as a museum to house an exceptional collection of Islamic art.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008