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.