Located at the center of King’s Cross Central Redevelopment, north of King’s Cross and St. Pancras International railway stations, the Aga Khan Centre is the home of UK based institutions of the AKDN (Aga Khan Development Network). Consisting mainly of three institutions, the Ismaili Imamat and AKDN, The Aga Khan University, Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Aga Khan Foundation United Kingdom, The Centre integrates teaching learning, archives, research, and development activities while creating a lasting architectural statement in London, expressing a set of key values of the Aga Khan.
An English heritage site, the King’s cross masterplan is found upon a vision for Principles for a Human City aiming to achieve optimal conditions, improving, and enhancing urban life. Regenerating and repurposing historic buildings, the development provides a network of public open spaces comprised of urban squares and landscaped parks where pedestrians prevail, and street traffic kept to a minimum.
Following the tradition of Britain’s great public and institutional buildings of prestige, the Centre cladded in white limestone with detailed flush windows treated with white ceramic frit creates an iridescence, uniting the entire building into a sculptural object with carved out by the gardens. Organized in a classical tripartite composition, the stone façade appears to float above a recessed and transparent base enhancing the public realm.
The Centre is planned thematically with a series of six ascending roof gardens, courtyard and terraces closely integrated with interior program spaces showcasing the diversity of Muslim societies and cultures over a variety of geographic regions. The vertical journey on ten levels unfolds in a sequence of interwoven internal and external spaces that are open and closed around a central skylit atrium serving as both a vessel of light and “community living room” fostering interaction amongst all institutions, ascending to an event space on the top floor with a panoramic view of the city.
The building represents the dichotomy of both the rich heritage of Islamic cultures in a non-slavish interpretative manner within a modern London context in contemporary language - an ensemble of British and European craftsmanship with the design of Maki and Associates first building in the United Kingdom.

Location：

10 Handyside St., London, UK

Completion Date：

2018

Building Type：

School (University / Graduate School) Library Research Facility

Structural System：

Reinforced Concrete / Steel

Number of Floors：

10+2 Basement

Site Area：

1,170m²

Building Area：

1,170m²

Total Floor Area：

10,929.8m²

Architect of Record：

Gardiner & Theobald LLP / Allies & Morrison

Structural Engineer：

Expedition Engineering

Mechanical / Electrical Engineer：

Arup