DOHA, Museum of islamic art park

Qatar

DOHA, Museum of islamic art park

Qatar

BACK
TEXT

The park for Doha's Museum of Islamic Art adjoins the emblematic cultural edifice designed by I.M. Pei on the waterfront. The park, a fourteen-hectare public space positioned along an extension over the sea, is situated near the port at the southern extremity of Doha bay, on the other side of a small, currently existing cliff facing the museum.

Our proposal deliberately excluded all formal solutions, and based on a very subtle topography of verdant hillsides, favored a remarkable positioning linked to the surrounding geography, evoking an elementary landscape.

In contrast to a formal treatment of the small cliff and its alignments of palm trees, the project created vast green slopes stripped of any decorative pattern. These slopes rise gradually towards the horizon. Their gentle incline discretely guides walkers up to an overhanging ridge, facing Doha bay.

From this high position, visitors can simply take in and enjoy views of the horizon from the best vantage point in the city, or turn their gaze towards the new museum and Richard Serra's monumental sculpture. But above all else it is a place for taking walks and for sea-related activities. All the functions and facilities of the site are grouped together in small mineral valleys situated between the green hills.         

data
Year:
2008 to 2013
Status:
Built
Program:
Public spaces, Cultural
Client:

Qatar Museum Authorities

Project Team:

MDP Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
Pei Partnership Architects
Richard Serra

Area:

4 ha (70 acres)