M7 Cultural Forum
Last Monday I got on a Berlin to Doha flight, a usual route given how Qatar has positioned itself as an effective hub connecting east and west. But this time Doha was not the connection, it was the destination.
A series of recent projects showcase the direction that the emirate is building towards, based on its heritage and the richness of its desert and coast, while focusing on culture and education, aiming for a sustainable development model. Again, its status as a hub facilitates global events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup or the 2023 Doha Horticultural Expo. All of this has led to a growing number of remarkable architectural projects in the country that I was eager to explore, from the National Museum of Qatar by Jean Nouvel, the Museum of Islamic Art by I.M. Pei, the Qatar National Library by OMA, or the Msheireb Downtown District by Allies and Morrison, AECOM and Arup, a compact walkable district that set an example for urban development in the region.