The Judges Awards

06.3 Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar, by IM Pei

Pritzker Prize-winning Pei's Museum of Islamic Art, at Doha Harbour, rises like an angular Middle Eastern iceberg 60m from the shore. Comprising a five-storey main centre and a two-storey education wing, connected across a central courtyard, the polished limestone build references both Islamic architecture and modernist clarity. According to the Islamic faith, simple shapes represent the purity of the religion, and Pei has kept this in mind. Blocky segments appear to tumble from the building's external peak, creating an intricate interplay between light and shade; inside, the structure is a kaleidoscope of geometric patterns, culminating in a stainless steel dome concealed within the topmost block.

Location: Doha, Qatar
Architect's previous projects: Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg, 2006; Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1993; Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong, 1989
Interior Design: Jean-Michel Wilmotte

View more images
www.mia.org.qa

Categories