Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANT

1. March 22, 2018: His Late Highness Aga Khan IV confirms the development of an Ismaili Center in Houston

While Houston had been selected as the site of the first Ismaili Center in the USA by Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, in 2006, it was not until March 22, 2018, that he confirmed its development. During his momentous Diamond Jubilee visit to the USA and in his fourth address to his followers in Houston, following earlier ones made on March 20 and 21, Mawlana Shah Karim said:

“I am happy to say to my Jamat today that it is my hope that in the years ahead, we will be able to develop a Centre here in Houston, And I know that this is a matter where my Jamati leaders wanted me to confirm this to my Jamat — here is your confirmation, here is your confirmation. We will work together to create a Centre. It will be an ambassadorial building for our Jamat, a building of elegance, a building containing the representation of faith, a building where, Insha’Allah, you will find peace and strength on sirat al-mustaqim [the straight path]. I am happy to tell you that my brother is already working on this project. So we are looking for professional architects, or an architect, who will express our faith in this building. We have sought to do that in other buildings around the world that have been built recently, and I think, generally speaking, we have been successful.”

A two-decade journey reaches a significant milestone in USA Ismaili history when His Highness the Aga Khan V, makes an official visit to the USA from November 5-10, 2025, during which he will inaugurate the Ismaili Center, Houston, the seventh high-profile Ismaili cultural center in the world and the first in the United States.

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2. The site of the Ismaili Center, Houston

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3. Competition is launched to design the Ismaili Center, Houston

An international design competition was launched in 2019, inviting architectural firms to submit design proposals for the new Ismaili Center in Houston. Submissions were received from high-profile firms, including OMA, David Chipperfield and Studio Gang. 

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4. Iranian born architect Farshid Moussavi wins designer contest

Farshid Moussavi of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) was selected by His Late Highness Aga Khan IV to design the first Ismaili Center in the United States. The design team for the center also included the GSD’s Hanif Kara, co-founder of engineering firm AKT II, who served as structural design consultant. Paul Westlake of DLR Group was the architect of record, while Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects led the landscape design.

“Our team brings a broad perspective, with diverse skills and experience in international practice, scholarly research, multidisciplinary thinking and delivering cultural projects successfully in the U.S.,” Moussavi told the Houston Chronicle. “It will bring Houston’s diverse communities together in a unique space for cultural, educational and social activities.”

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5. November 15, 2021: Farshid Moussavi unveils design of Ismaili Center, Houston

“What made this project especially rewarding was the close alignment between the aspirations of the client and architect. What made it especially challenging was my awareness of the rigorous standards that His Highness the Aga Khan has established for architecture!” — Farshid Moussavi.

The design for the Ismaili Center in Houston’s Buffalo Bayou watershed was presented to the public on November 15, 2021, at a gathering of government and civic officials, community representatives and leaders from civil society organizations. Situated on Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard, the Ismaili Center was commissioned by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

In presenting the design, Farshid Moussavi, internationally acclaimed architect, who also designed the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, observed:

“What made this project especially rewarding was the close alignment between the aspirations of the client and architect. What made it especially challenging was my awareness of the rigorous standards that His Highness the Aga Khan has established for architecture! We have tried to work with Islamic design philosophy, and celebrate its singularity and unique qualities as well as the features it has in common with Western design, so that the building, both through its fabric and through the way it is used, would act as a symbol of dialogue.”

Farshid Moussavi’s website described the Ismaili Center’s features as follows:

“The building is designed with a compact footprint, leaving large portions of the site to be used as gardens. Given the frequently hot and humid climate of Houston and the prominence of the site in the city, it is designed with a tripartite form with each of its volumes hosting a soaring eivan (veranda) to enable social and cultural gatherings to occur outdoors throughout the year. The eivans are supported by forty-nine slender columns reminiscent of those used in Persepolis and seventeenth century palaces in Isfahan, Persia. In being open on all sides and visible from all approaches to the site, the eivans will make the Ismaili Center open and inviting in every direction. At night, they will transform it to a beacon of light along Montrose Boulevard and Allen Parkway.

“The Center’s design, contemporary in its expression, is reflective of a historically rooted, rich architectural heritage. It combines contemporary architectural technology – its light steel structure – with traditional Persian forms and ornament, including ceramic mosaics and screens drawn from Islamicate traditions around the world. Its design for sustainability includes assuring enhanced energy performance and longevity and durability of materials, by encasing exposed steel with concrete for a 100-year lifecycle, and using stone for the building’s exterior walls. Conceived as a tapestry in stone, the exterior walls will transition from solid areas to porous screens that will provide shade and privacy, and from flat surfaces to deep alcoves to permit shady repose fronting the gardens. The building exterior will therefore be defined by simplicity of form, openness, and an abstract decorative character.

“The building interior will include three atriums that will act as common, non-exclusive flexible spaces between rooms dedicated to specific events. Each is located adjacent to an eivan to bring in natural light and views of the sky to the heart of the building. The central atrium’s stepped structure clad in ceramic screens, celebrates the heritage of the cupola dating back to 3000 BCE, dominant in both the architecture of the Sasanian period in Persia and the Christian buildings of the Byzantine empire. The west and east atriums will give access to a theater, a large hall and learning spaces.

“The Center’s landscaped gardens will provide a sense of serenity and peace, offering a respite from its urban surroundings. The gardens will include tree canopies, fountains, shaded footpaths, flowerbeds, lawns and walkways. These will be spaces of solace, providing for the rejuvenation of the mind and the spirit.”

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6. 2023-2024: Prince Amyn Aga Khan’s visits to the Ismaili Center, Houston, for the topping-up ceremony and to review construction progress

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7. February 4, 2025: Mawlana Shah Karim, His Highness the Aga Khan IV, the Imam who built six beautiful Ismaili Centres in his lifetime and almost saw the completion of the Ismaili Center, Houston, passes away

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8. February 2025: Designer Farshi Moussavi and structural design consultant Hanif Kara pay their tributes to His Late Highness Aga Khan IV

His Late Highness Aga Khan IV: “An unparalleled force for good”

A TRIBUTE BY FARSHID MOUSSAVI

“It is with huge sadness that yesterday I learnt about the passing of His Highness The Aga Khan, a visionary leader who dedicated his life to improving the quality of life for individuals and communities worldwide — regardless of origin, faith, or gender. Through hospitals, universities, community centers, places of worship, museums, gardens, and parks, he empowered countless communities, ensuring access to education, healthcare, and spaces for spiritual and cultural enrichment.

“Beyond these tangible contributions, he also championed the preservation of cultural heritage while embracing innovation. He restored and conserved fragile monuments, safeguarding history for future generations, and established awards in architecture and music to foster creativity and excellence in these fields. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, in particular, has become a model for how design can be both aspirational and sustainable.

“His Highness has been an extraordinary leader and an unparalleled force for good. I feel truly fortunate to have been in his presence while serving on the Master Jury and Steering Committee of the Aga Khan Award and, most recently, working closely with him on the Ismaili Center Houston. The lessons I have learned from him are immeasurable.

“His passing is a profound loss — not just for me personally but for the entire Ismaili community and all those who had the privilege of working with him. While his absence will be deeply felt, I take solace in knowing that his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us for generations to come. I send His Highness’s family my most heartfelt condolences. They are in my thoughts.”

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His Late Highness Aga Khan IV: “He empowered his architects to take charge”

A TRIBUTE BY HANIF KARA

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of His Highness Prince Karim Aga khan IV, both on a professional and a personal level. I had the great honour and privilege to work with, and for, him on many levels. His renowned contribution to humanitarian causes, with a capacity and dedication to drive change as a statesman, leaves an unparalleled mark on the broken world we see. He was a lover of art and architecture but also a patron who commissioned work of the highest quality as a client, and empowered his architects to take charge. Under his leadership, The Aga Khan Award for Architecture has, for almost five decades, sought the most incredible projects and talents in what was largely an invisible ‘world’, often navigating the tough geographies of fear. These projects consistently improved quality of life through design.

“His endowed education programmes at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were ahead of the curve in raising scholarly awareness about the environmental and social impact of the cities we build. The Aga Khan Development Network and Aga Khan Trust for Culture, as just two of his institutions, will continue his ambitious legacy shaped by vision, care, and dedication.”

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9. March 27, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan visits Ismaili Center, Houston, to review progress

In March 2025, Prince Amyn Aga Khan travelled to Houston to review the ongoing progress of the Ismaili Center. He was accompanied Members of the Ismaili Center Oversight Committee.

During his visit, Prince Amyn engaged in collaborative discussions with the Design Team members. Together, they reviewed significant updates to the project, including proposed artwork to be installed and its placement, the trees and plants in the gardens, and various internal and external finishes in the building. Additionally, they discussed the types of programs that were expected to be held at the Center.

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10. September 25, 2025: Ismaili Center nears completion

The following story has been compiled from a report by the DLR Group as they prepared to hand over the Ismaili Center Houston to its owner:

Final preparations are underway, including the completion of dramatic veranda spaces and the landscaping of nine acres of gardens by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. This marks the conclusion of a journey that began in 2006, when His Highness the Aga Khan IV (1936–2025), the then spiritual leader of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, selected Houston as the site of the first Ismaili Center in the United States, joining others in London (1985), Vancouver (1985), Lisbon (1998), Dubai (2008), Dushanbe (2009), and Toronto (2014).

As home to approximately 40,000 Ismaili Muslims, Houston has one of the largest Ismaili communities in the U.S. The Ismaili cultural centers, including the one in Houston, are not just places of worship, but also vibrant hubs of cultural diversity. They are part of a global network that spans Toronto, London, Lisbon, Vancouver, Dushanbe, and Dubai, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Ismaili community. The centers are characterized by distinctive designs that blend Islamic aesthetic precepts and symbolism with their local contexts.

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11. October 3, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan announces official visit to the USA

In a Talika Mubarak (holy written message) read in Jamatkhanas worldwide on or around October 3, 2025, Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, informed his Ismaili community (Jamat) that he would undertake an official visit to the USA from November 5 to 10, 2025. This visit holds historical significance as he will inaugurate the Ismaili Center in Houston, a landmark event that marks a significant chapter in the history of the USA community. 

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12. Textual and visual coverage of the construction phases of the Ismaili Center, Houston, in the Ismaili USA

In a fantastic series of stories beginning in 2022, Ismaili USA provided its readers with stories, photographs, and videos of the development and progress of the first Ismaili Center in the USA, the third in North America, and the seventh in the world. We are pleased to provide these links, allowing readers to appreciate the phases of construction over the past three years. The Ismaili links are followed by links to other external media sources, including renowned design and architecture magazines. These sources offer not only educational but also insightful readings about the Center, enriching your understanding of its development.

• March 2024 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• January 2024 (1 of 2): Pictures and videos of construction progress
• January 2024 (2 of 2): Ismaili Center Houston Construction Progress
• December 2023 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• November 2023 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• October 2023 The Ismaili Center Update
• September 2023 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• August 2023 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• July 2023 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• June 2023 Ismaili Center Construction Update
• May 2023: Click here to see a construction progress video
• April 2023: Construction progress video
• March 2023: Construction progress video
• February 2023: Construction progress video
• January 2023: Construction progress video
• December 2022: Construction progress video
• November 2022: Click here to watch video
• May 2022: Construction progress video

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13. Coverage of the Ismaili Center, Houston, in world media

External links: The Ismaili Center Houston has garnered extensive media coverage, and we are including a selection of links that are both educational and fascinating to read:

• Metropolis: Farshid Moussavi’s Open-ended Architecture Comes to the U.S.
• World Architecture: Farshid Moussavi to design America’s first Ismaili Center with porous screens in Houston
• Architecture Magazine: British Architect Farshid Moussavi to Design the First Ismaili Muslim Community Center in the U.S.
• Archpaper: Farshid Moussavi wins competition to design first Ismaili cultural center in the United States
• World Architecture: Farshid Moussavi-designed Ismaili Center Houston nears completion across from Buffalo Bayou Park
• Archinect News: Peek inside Farshid Moussavi’s upcoming Ismaili Center Houston
• Metalocus: Farshid Moussavi wins 2025 Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize
• Archtectural Record: Farshid Moussavi: “Architecture Is Like Sailing on an Unknown Sea”
• Archtect’s Journal: Champion of Islamic architecture the Aga Khan dies aged 88
• DLR Group: The Ismaili Center Houston Nears Completion – DLR Group
• e-Architect: Ismaili Center, Houston, Texas cultural building
• Metropolis: Farshid Moussavi’s Open-ended Architecture Comes to the U.S.

Date posted: November 4, 2025.

Note: A version of this post also appears on Simerg’s sister website, Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan.

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