The National Museum of Qatar designed by Jean Nouvel or I. M. Pei's Museum of Islamic Art might dazzle on the Qatari capital's skyline, but design in Doha so much more than big buildings by superstar international designers. It is really the people who live there – from the Arab nation's leadership and local creatives, to expat designers who have made the city their home – who are fashioning a new identity for the country, one that is just as future-facing as it is rooted in Qatari heritage.
Watch AD's Design in Doha Series
In Doha, Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Commissioned This Chic Townhouse as a Space for Creative Exchange
From Nouvel's sculptural museum that blends into the early 20th-century palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, to local designers such as AD100 talent Maryam Al-Homaid whose geometric rugs tell the story of Qatar's rapidly evolving urbanscape and Abdulrahman Al Muftah, who is exploring sustainable materials to contemporarise everyday objects, meaningful intersections of innovation and tradition have become symnonmous with Doha's design output. Alongside, expat practices such as Architects Independent and boo Design Studio are bringing new perspectives to the table, creating spaces and objects inspired by the Qatari landscape.
At the heart of it all is Doha Design District, a dynamic destination that is fostering a creative ecosystem founded on collaboration and cultural exchange.
Qatari Fashion Designers Collaborate With Liberty London to Reimagine the Abaya
Situated in Msheireb Downtown Doha, the flagship project of Msheireb Properties – a planet-conscious Qatari real estate consortium chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser – the Doha Design District is fast evolving into a focal point for the international creative community. “Design Districts are important throughout the world because they become a reflection of the people's culture and identity,” says Eng. Ali Al Kuwari, the CEO of Msheireb Properties. “Since its inception, our design district was intended to be not only smart and sustainable but also a place that brings hope and happiness."
In just three years since it was first introduced, Doha Design District has become the Qatari home to global design brands as well as homegrown architecture and interior design studios, whilst simultaneously hosting immersive showcases of Arab design alongside exhibitions by the likes of Dior, Fendi and TheArsenale Lab. This vibrant mix of global, local, regional and expat talent – all working together, learning from each other and the city – is what makes Doha's design scene so inspiring.
AD's new video series, Design in Doha, tells the story of the Qatari capital's fast evolving creative landscape from the lens of those who know it best.
Watch Design in Doha Videos
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Design in Doha Episode 1: Featuring Qatari designer Abdulrahman Al Muftah
“Design in Doha is all about taking local talent to the globe,” says Qatari designer Abdulrahman Al Muftah. In the first episode of Design in Doha, the talent about how Doha's creative ecosystem inspires him to take local ideas, rooted in Qatar's traditions and material heritage, global. Read the full interview here.
Design in Doha Episode 2: Featuring textile artists and design educator Maryam Al-Homaid
“There's a growing awareness of the power of design in Doha," says Qatari designer Maryam Al-Homaid. “Design here is not just about problem solving but a means to spark meaningful conversations about the changes happening around us.” In this episode of Design in Doha, Al-Homaid talks about how she strikes a balance between tradition and innovation from a Qatari perspective. Read the full interview here.
Design in Doha Episode 3: Featuring Qatar-based Lebanese Designer Jo Booabbood
“Design in Doha is everywhere, this is a city that constantly inspires,” says Jo Booabbood, who co-founded Boo Design Studio with his wife and fellow designer, Amanda, in Beirut. The family has now set up a base in Qatar. In this episode of Design in Doha, Booabbood talks about what attracted him to the region. Read the full interview here.
Design in Doha Episode 3: Featuring Qatar-based Designers Thomas Modeen and Maysaa Al-Mumin
“Design in Doha has innate elegance and dignity,” says Thomas Modeen, one half of the Qatar-based studio Architects Independent. “In terms of more refined landmark buildings – rather than structures that are simply the biggest, tallest, most brash in character – Doha is difficult to beat.” Read the full interview here.
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