The Diwan at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, a year-round pavilion and event space, has won two international awards for its design.

The Diwan has been awarded a 2023 International Architecture Award in the category of Exposition Centres, and a gold certification in the category of Public Building / Cultural Building from Grand Prix Du Design.

The Diwan was inaugurated last September in a ceremony attended by Princess Zahra Aga Khan on behalf of her father, His Highness the Aga Khan and completes the Aga Khan Garden, which is the northernmost Islamic garden in the world and a contemporary interpretation of Islamic landscape architecture on the Canadian Prairies.

The concept of the Diwan is to not only offer multi-use functionality year-round for weddings, corporate retreats and much more in a scenic setting, but also to extend the themes of the Aga Khan Garden. The Garden symbolizes the hope, peace and unity that comes when people interact within the beauty and inspiration of nature; the Diwan’s design blurs the barrier between indoors and outdoors, much as the traditional garden pavilion might have.

Inspired by traditions of Islamic building arts, the Diwan features geometric patterns, surfaces, and screens. Greeting guests as they approach the front entrance is a canopy marked by intricate metal screens serving as an interpretation of the traditional architectural element mashrabiya, which creates cast patterned shadows.

The Diwan was a collaboration of three firms: design architect AXIA Design Associates, architect-of-record Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd., and interiors by Arriz and Co.

The space marks a landmark in a history of shared partnership between the Ismaili community and the University of Alberta.