New Islamic Museum by Aga Khan

[Michael]

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/arts/photos/2010/05/27/agakhan-museum.jpg

http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/0528agakhan3.jpg?w=620&h=271

Aga Khan plans Islamic art centre in Toronto

The Aga Khan, head of the world's Ismaili Muslim community, will be in Toronto to break ground on the construction of the Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture.

The development includes an Ismaili Centre and a park area on Wynford Drive near the Don Valley Parkway.

The development, which officially launches on Friday afternoon, sits on a 6.8-hectare site and will be completed in 2013. The landscaped park will incorporate a formal garden, reflecting pools and walkways.

The centrepiece of the development will be the 100,000-square-foot Aga Khan Museum, designed by award-winning Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki.

According to the Aga Khan Foundation, the museum will house and exhibit "some of the most important works of Islamic art in the world."

Some 200 pieces from the museum's collection of more than 1,000 objects will be on display in a permanent gallery. The artifacts date back 1,000 years.

Temporary exhibitions will also take place in addition to an extensive educational program through its multimedia centre and reference library. The museum will host workshops and classes for the public at large.

In addition, a 350-seat auditorium will feature musical performances, book readings, films, conferences and theatre productions.

Source (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2010/05/27/aga-khan-museum.html)

This is supposed to be a major cultural landmark - and the first of its kind being built outside of a Muslim nation.

As for the architecture, it does look rather pleasant and avoids the traditional brutal 'modernist' ugliness of most western architecture employed for museums.

Needless to say, the political reception of this announcement here in Canada is a far cry from the politics in NYC where a large mosque is being proposed to be built near the old World Trade Tower site.

[Zarquon]

A tribute to any religion built on war, coercion, and oppression(most of the "great" ones are) is in bad taste imho, no matter what.

[Donkey]

It's quite a spread out campus. I take it the dome off to the side is the auditorium?


I like it.

[Michael]

It's quite a spread out campus. I take it the dome off to the side is the auditorium?


I like it.

It isn't all that spread out given that the site is only 17 acres (6.8 hectares).

Though, the location is the Don River Valley, which runs through the east end of the city with a parkland/ravine environment, so it will be surrounded by fairly low-density buildings and lots of trees.

I'm particularly pleased to see it being built actually inside the city rather than way out in the outer suburbs. This 'understated' building is clearly meant to make a statement. It is also, in the words of the Aga Khan himself, a testament to the 'world-inspiring multicultural and cosmopolitan character of Toronto'.

And yes, overall, I like it from an architectural point of view. It does look rather tranquil.

[Michael]

A tribute to any religion built on war, coercion, and oppression(most of the "great" ones are) is in bad taste imho, no matter what.

Are you suggesting that the Aga Khan's fortune is illegitimate? The OP-link clearly states that the Aga Khan Foundation is the financier of the project as a "gift to the city of Toronto".

Either way, this building is a hundred times more pleasant than the architecturally hideous Hindu temples springing up by the dozen out in the cowfields outside the outer suburbs of Toronto.

[Donkey]

The middle of the building reminds me of the big cultural museum in D.F in Mexico. The center is a lovely courtyard. For a number of reasons I'll probably have cause to visit Toronto for quite a while, so I'll put this on my list in a few years.

[Donkey]

Are you suggesting that the Aga Khan's fortune is illegitimate? The OP-link clearly states that the Aga Khan Foundation is the financier of the project as a "gift to the city of Toronto".

Either way, this building is a hundred times more pleasant than the architecturally hideous Hindu temples springing up by the dozen out in the cowfields outside the outer suburbs of Toronto.
I think that he means that the idea of having an "Islamic Art" museum is offensive. Similarly would be a "Christian Art"* museum.

I disagree, but what have you.



*aka every classical European art Museum...?

[Michael]

I think that he means that the idea of having an "Islamic Art" museum is offensive. Similarly would be a "Christian Art"* museum.

I disagree, but what have you.



*aka every classical European art Museum...?

Yes, but I do like to reference my understanding that the religion-bashers are potentially just as much a danger to society as the religions they bash. :D

As for the "Christian Art" element found in every classical style Western art museum, I disagree. Yes, that stuff is certainly there, but as much of the art is irreverent of religion as it is worshipful it seems. Indeed, one can argue that the history of western art is all about the slow demise of religion and these museums supply most of the critical evidence.

Besides, if the Christian religion has only one redeeming feature, it must be the great master 15th and early 16th century 'religious themed' artworks. :D

Full disclosure: my one true 'passion' for art is the renaissance great masters. I worship Rafael. :)

[Donkey]

Certainly, but I doubt that every piece of art in this museum will be of a specifically religious nature. I doubt that there will be too many paintings of Mohammed (hurrhurr).

You can call it a museum of Islamic art, but I suspect that most will be "Middle East Art during the age of Islam." I could be very wrong, though. Arab/Islamic art is certainly not something I know much about.

[Zarquon]

Art is a universal human endeavor, and to arbitrarily classify it according to religion is antithetical to the idea of a shared human heritage, culture,etc , even if some works are inspired by or made for "religious" purposes(invariably because lack of funding and clerical censorship preclude other subjects).
I particularly dislike how religion has become the defining aspect of our identity and that the mainstream apparently abets this co-option of other aspects of our identities. I specifically reference the blurring of the distinction between Arab/West Asian/Middle Eastern and Islamic, Indian and Hindu, Punjabi and Sikh, American and Christian among others.

[Zarquon]

Yes, but I do like to reference my understanding that the religion-bashers are potentially just as much a danger to society as the religions they bash. :D

How? (Commies?)
And how do you define "danger to society"?

[Michael]

How? (Commies?)
And how do you define "danger to society"?

In order to avoid going :offtopic: here, I shall merely point to this thread (http://www.discussionworldforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23) for further discussion. :yoda:

Let's keep this thread for discussions related to the general topic of architechture, to which this thread is addressed. :)

[WFCY]

I want to see some right wing nut news pundit call it the new "terrorist training camp", or "Al Qaeda center".

Someone find me this, need to be entertained.

[Non Sequitur]

I want to see some right wing nut news pundit call it the new "terrorist training camp", or "Al Qaeda center".

Someone find me this, need to be entertained.

Don't say such things! It will then be true and then I will be even more ashamed of being a conservative...

[Michael]

I want to see some right wing nut news pundit call it the new "terrorist training camp", or "Al Qaeda center".

Someone find me this, need to be entertained.
This is in Canada. American rightwingers don't seem to follow news from foreign countries. :shrug:

If you are looking for over-the-top reactions, you should lookup the new Islamic mosque approved to be built right near 'ground zero' in NYC. American rightwingers aren't happy about that at all.

Newsweek (http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/05/10/right-wing-mosque-at-ground-zero-is-a-quot-slap-in-the-face-quot.html)

World Net Daily (http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=119328)

Atlas Shrugs (http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/12/mosque-at-ground-zero-adding-insult-to-agony.html)

I honestly can't find any negative reactions in Canadian media at all - it is entirely positive.