I. M. Pei and the Making of the Museum of Islamic Art: About the Galleries

I. M. Pei

leoh Ming Pei was born in Guangzhou (China) in 1917. He became an innovative Chinese-American architect whose work redefined modern architecture across the globe. Known for his bold geometric designs, masterful use of light, and a deep understanding of cultural contexts, I. M. Pei created some of the world's most iconic structures, including the Miho Museum in Kyoto, the Louvre Museum Pyramid in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.

MIA was considered Pei's final major project. It was his first and only project in the Middle East, and it brought him out of retirement. In 1990 Pei retired from Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the firm which he had initially established as I. M. Pei & Associates in 1955 in New York (USA), but he continued to work as a consultant at his son's firm Pei Partnership Architects (now PEl Architects) and take on independent projects.

Pei later said MIA had been one of the most difficult projects he had undertaken. Due to his limited engagement with Islamic architecture, as well as other factors, he had resisted Qatar's initial invitation. Once he accepted, he embarked on extensive research and travel to learn about Islamic architecture and cultures and discover its immense diversity.

His Highness the Father Amir & I. M. Pei

MIA is a testament to the visions of His Highness the Father Amir and I. M. Pei. Although Pei had long since retired, and initially expressed reservations about embarking on this project, HH the Father Amir was certain he was the architect for the future museum. In a meeting in New York, he invited Pei to lead the project. The two men forged a bond based on respect and admiration, and a genuine friendship.

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA)

Always forward-looking Pei could see that Doha’s urban planning was developing rapidly and to protect the grandeur and visibility of the future museum, he requested that it should be built on a specifically constructed island in the sea.

He designed a timeless building—sleek and modern, primarily in his preferred cream-coloured limestone from France with jet-mist granite from the United States, and inspired by geometric Islamic architecture, as well as local elements such as the desert sun and the sea.

The interior of the museum was built to house a remarkable collection of artworks, material culture and archives. Pei recommended the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, with whom he had previously collaborated on the Louvre project, to design the rich interior spaces and the museography. Sheikh Saoud bin Mohammed Al Thani had been clear in his desire to assemble a collection of masterpieces that was intimate and accessible, and the early hang of the museum reflected this—objects appeared suspended, information on labels was limited, encouraging visitors to imagine.

International Architecture Competition

HH The Father Amir's vision of culture led to the establishment of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage (NCCAH), chaired by his cousin Sheikh Saoud Al Thani. With the support of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Qatar launched an International Architecture Competition in 1997 to design and build the first of several institutions: the Museum of Islamic Art. The original suggested sites were locations on the Corniche. Renowned architects including Zaha Hadid, Charles Correa and Rasem Badran submitted proposals, and in 1998 Badran was declared the finalist. This section features reproductions from the competition's archives, including elevation plans for the future museum. Ultimately, I. M. Pei was invited to lead the project.

The Architects

The selection of architects invited to participate in the competition demonstrates the willingness of the client and the organising committee to explore a broad range of architectural approaches, encompassing regionalist expression, high technology, modern formalism, deconstructivism. Cultural, environmental and historical values needed to emerge from the context and be expressed in an architectural form.

Landscaping and urban design were important aspects of the competition. The site was located near the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) and in the middle of the Doha extension masterplan. Already in the 1990s, the intention was to create a cultural district in this part of Doha with MIA as one of the key landmarks.

The traditions of Islamic and Arab cultures, as well as the hot and arid climate of Doha, were presented as important factors in the programme brief. Nevertheless, it was made clear that their interpretation should not impose compromises or constraints on the architectural approaches of the competitors.

About the Architects

Charles Correa

Secunderabad, British Raj, 1930—Mumbai, India, 2015 

Charles Correa is one of the most recognised Indian architects of his generation. His proposal for MIA is generated by two basic architectural themes: the wall and the courtyard. This polished red granite wall, mirroring the sea and the sky along the Corniche, changes in thickness and height along its length. The resulting curve serves both form and function, accommodating various service spaces used by the galleries. The galleries are flexible, and the pathways offer several alternative routes for visitors to view the exhibition areas in a variety of sequences, all structured by the centrality of the sunken courtyard with the inlaid charbagh. The wall, climaxing in a recall of the original astronomical instruments developed in Central Asia, pays tribute to the achievements of Islam in science and astronomy, and serves as a platform for visitors to view in the city of Doha.

James Wines—SITE

Established in 1970 in New York, USA

James Wines SITE team's project is based on the idea that "the building is a garden and the garden is the building". The effect of fusion between exterior and interior is formally achieved by the creation of 12 long parallel strips that cover the site from one side to the other, forming both the covering of the museum and a continuous, flexible landscape. The project is conceived as a succession of passages, from one strip to another, the amplitude of which depends on the functionalities of the museum programme. At the centre of the site, a large dome establishes the building's centrality, renewing the motif of the architecture of a cupola.

Rasem Jamal Bardan

Jerusalem, Palestine, 1945

Rasem Jamal Badran is a Saudi/Jordanian architect of Palestinian origin whose work is based on a methodological approach defining architecture as a continuous dialogue between contemporary needs and cultural values inherited from history. Badran's project, in plan, develops horizontally through a succession of large courtyards in which each chapter of the museum programme is located. A vast esplanade organises the relation with the bay and the lagoon. The Badran project was selected as the winning project by the jury of the competition.

Zaha Hadid

Bagdad, Iraq, 1950—Miami, USA, 2016

Zaha Hadid is recognised worldwide as one of the most important architects of the modern period, and she is often credited with developing an entirely new architectural language in her quest for what she described as “complex, dynamic and fluid spaces”.  She constantly pushed back the boundaries of what was thought possible in architecture, in a career that encompassed design in all its forms, from urban planning to interior and product design. Zaha Hadid does not seek to reinterpret traditional Islamic motifs, but “the ultimate ambition was to create fluid space, in every sense, between inside and out, and there is no boundary for people to move from one space to another”.

Richard Rogers

Florence, Italy, 1933 – London, UK, 2021

Richard Rogers' design favours compactness: a vast, transparent volume that is largely open to the outside world. The museum programme, on the other hand, is sheltered by “inner boxes”. The project magnifies a complex roof, which regulates air conditioning and interior sunlight. Richard Rogers thus continues his research associating the building with a machine, celebrating the structure and technicality of the building's glass roofs. The vast greenhouse is crisscrossed by a number of walkways and footpaths, ensuring the site's connection with its urban environment.

Oriol Bohigas

Barcelona, Spain, 1925—Barcelona, Spain, 2021 

MBM Arquitectes: Oriol Bohigas, David Mackay, Josep Martorell reimagined the museum as a major focal point for the city—creating an architectural layout that transformed the site into a new urban hub. To reflect the land use, the central courtyard and surrounding parks were organised on a grid, with the plan proposing alternating covered and open spaces to create spatial variations. Made up of compact and large-scale masses, many of the museum's facilities were designed to be low-rise structures connected by glass corridors. The artificial lake would act as both a security barrier and an open space for future expansion.

The Film

I. M. Pei and Islamic Architecture

In designing the museum, Pei sought to capture the essence of Islamic architecture. He had travelled in the Middle East as a young man, and upon accepting the project, spent six months researching and travelling across the Muslim world. He visited the Grand Mosque in Córdoba, Spain, the Umayyad Great Mosque in Damascus, Syria, the Palace of Fatehpur Sikri in India, but was particularly drawn to the Ribats of Monastir and Sousse in Tunisia, before arriving at the ablution fountain of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. The structure of its geometric progressions was the primary inspiration for the design of MIA.

This exhibition's subtitle—From Square to Octagon and Octagon to Circle—is drawn from Pei's own words, a geometric analysis of the ablution fountain. He often referenced sharp geometric forms, water, and the desert sun as imperative to the spirit of Islamic architecture. This section includes photographs and paintings from Qatar Museums’ collections and others of the iconic sites that inspired Pei.

The Museum of Islamic Art’s Early Collection

The very first acquisitions for MIA were made by Sheikh Saoud in London in April 1997. These included the Fountainhead (renamed the Doha Hind) (on view in gallery 8 dedicated to Al Andalus). When I. M. Pei was approached to design the museum, this collection was still being assembled, but as the building began to develop, so did the world-class collection.

Over the following years, an intense acquisition campaign led by Sheikh Saoud secured the finest art objects, from private owners, from art dealers and from auction houses. He was resolute in his pursuit of the most exceptional masterpieces with great provenance–he believed that "only the very best was worth having." MIA's collection emphasises the depth and geographical breadth of the Islamic world--it is vast in material form and function. This section showcases key acquisitions that helped define the early collection and are included in the MIA's top highlights.

Some of the artworks in this section were included in prefiguration local and international exhibitions, which announced the future museum in the years prior to the opening.

Legacy of the Museum and its Park

This section presents the overarching legacy of MIA and of the adjacent MIA Park that redefined Doha's cultural landscape. This final room is a deconstruction of the architect's studio, displaying original material by I. M. Pei from progressive stages of the design process. Archival documents and photographs represent the important exhibitions held in Doha and abroad by the future museum in advance of the completion of its building.

Archival film footage and photographs convey the splendour around the opening week of the museum.

Finally, the MIA Park was inaugurated in 2011, designed by PEI Partnership Architects of New York, and landscaped by the celebrated French designer Michel Desvigne. The acclaimed American artist Richard Serra, recommended by Pei for the commission, was inspired by the Ghazni Minaret in Afghanistan to create 7, the monumental sculpture, which was installed at the end of the pier. The museum and surrounding park are well-established as a beloved space for community and gathering.

MIA: From Vision to Opening

Museum of Islamic Art Sketches and Architectural Models

Designed by Pei and his team, these recently rediscovered models, from the offices of PEI Architects in New York, were used to experiment with designs and constructions. They were displayed in early presentations about the museum. The sectional model in particular reveals work on the muqarnas and the central hidden dome. Pei included elements of iconic Islamic architecture within his designs. A model of the MIA Park and a maquette of Richard Serra’s 7 are also on view.

Early Exhibitions of the Museum of Islamic of Art

In the final years leading up to the official opening of the museum, prefiguration exhibitions were held locally and internationally to spotlight the collection. Silk and Ivory, 8th to 17th Centuries, Treasures from the Museum of Islamic Art was held at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in Doha in 2004, and From Cordoba to Samarqand - Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha was held at the Louvre Museum in Paris in 2006 and inaugurated by the HH Father Amir and French President Jacques Chirac. These displays were accompanied by early models of the museum. Photographs and archival material from those exhibitions are on view.

Opening of the Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) was inaugurated on 28 November 2008 in a momentous unveiling and grand celebration attended by distinguished guests from around the world. Fireworks, speeches, dinners and talks were held to mark the occasion. Local and international guests visited Doha and the new museum when it opened officially on 1 December 2008. Film footage, archival material and photographs from the opening week are exhibited.