Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe
Farouk Noormohamed / FNDA Architecture · Dushanbe, Tajikistan · 2009
The Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe is organized around courtyards, gardens and a sequence of formal and informal gathering spaces rather than one dominant prayer hall. Contemporary construction is combined with brick, carved surfaces, water and geometric screens that refer to Central Asian and broader Islamic architectural traditions without literal historical imitation. The building supports worship, education and community functions and was the first Ismaili Centre in Central Asia. Completed in 2009, it is one of Dushanbe’s most refined contemporary buildings and a comparatively restrained counterpoint to the capital’s larger state monuments.