The first Ismaili Center in the United States, designed by Farshid Moussavi Architecture, has opened in Houston. Officially inaugurated on November 6, 2025, with the presence of Houston Mayor John Whitmire, the center is situated on an 11-hectare site adjacent to Buffalo Bayou Park. The Ismaili Center Houston is designed to foster cross-cultural dialogue, promote coexistence, and provide a space for social and cultural activities, joining the network of global Ismaili centers in London, Toronto, Lisbon, Dubai, and Dushanbe.
Farshid Moussavi, the London-based architect of Iranian descent, sought in this project to merge contemporary architectural language with mystical concepts and the geometry of Islamic architecture. The five-story building, covering approximately 150,000 square feet, combines spaces for worship, study, dialogue, and cultural activities. Natural light, transparency, and fluidity of spaces are key design features, with a central oculus and a northern veranda introducing soft, controlled light that creates a sense of calm and balance.
The exterior façade features light-colored stone and patterned screens inspired by Islamic geometric motifs, creating a sense of rhythm and spatial depth while maintaining simplicity. This combination of materials and details reinterprets the building’s cultural identity in a contemporary expression. The landscape design, carried out by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, incorporates walking paths, reflective pools, and gardens planted with native Texan vegetation, establishing a serene connection between nature and architecture.
From a functional and environmental perspective, the Ismaili Center Houston has been designed to meet LEED standards, ensuring long-term sustainability and energy efficiency. A collaborative team of engineers, architects, and landscape designers worked from the outset to achieve full harmony between structure, performance, and form. The use of advanced technologies, durable materials, and a design approach responsive to Houston’s warm climate positions the center as a leading example of contemporary religious architecture. The Ismaili Center Houston is not only a place of worship but also a symbol of cultural, artistic, and social convergence—a space for dialogue, reflection, and human interaction in a multicultural world. Farshid Moussavi’s architecture in this project combines elegance, meaning, and functionality, redefining the boundary between tradition and modernity in one of the United States’ most dynamic cities.