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The Museum
of
Islamic
Art (MIA)
is
a museum on
one
end
of
the
seven-kilometer-long
(4.3 mi) Corniche in Doha, Qatar.
As
per
the
architect I.
M.
Pei's specifications,
the
museum
is
built
on
an
island
off
an
artificial
projecting
peninsula
near
the
traditional dhow harbor.
A
purpose-built
park
surrounds
the
edifice
on
the
eastern
and
southern
facades
while
two
bridges
connect
the
southern
front
facade
of
the
property
with
the
main
peninsula
that
holds
the
park.[1] The
western
and
northern
facades
are
marked
by
the
harbor
showcasing
the
Qatari
seafaring
past.
In
September
2017, Qatar
Museums appointed
Julia
Gonnella
as
new
director
of
MIA.
The
museum
hosts
the
restaurant
IDAM
led
by
the
head
chef Alain
Ducasse.[3] The
restaurant
is
inspired
by
French
Mediterranean
cuisine.
IDAM
also
offers
master
classes
in
cooking
artisanal
bread
and
raw
foods.[4] The
museum
has
a
park,[5] workshops
for
schools
and
the
general
public,[6] and
a
library
that
provides
information
about
Islamic
Arts
in
both
English
and
Arabic.
The
library
also
has
nine
study
rooms.[7]
Adjacent
to
the
museum
is
the
MIA
Park,
a
waterfront
open
space
administered
by
the
museum.
It
features
cafes,
a
children's
play
area,
and 7,
a
vertical
steel
sculpture
by
American
sculptor Richard
Serra.[
The
museum
is
influenced
by
ancient Islamic
architecture[9] yet
has
a
uniquely
modern
design
involving
geometric
patterns.
It
is
the
first
of
its
kind
to
feature
over
14
centuries
of
Islamic
art
in
the Arab
States
of
the
Persian
Gulf.[10]
Occupying
an
area
of
45,000 m2 (480,000 sq ft),
the
museum
is
on
an
artificial
peninsula
overlooking
the
south
end
of Doha
Bay.[11] Construction
of
the
building
was
done
by
a
Turkish
company,
Baytur
Construction,
in
2006.
The
interior
gallery
spaces
were
designed
by
a
team
of
Wilmotte
Associates.
The
museum
was
opened
on
November
22,
2008,
by
the
then-emir
of
Qatar, Sheikh
Hamad.[12] It
opened
to
the
general
public
on
December
8,
2008.[13][14]
At
91
years
of
age,
the
museum's
architect, I.
M.
Pei had
to
be
coaxed
out
of
retirement
to
undertake
this
enterprise.
He
traveled
throughout
the
Muslim
world
on
a
six-month
quest
to
learn
about
Muslim
architecture
and
history
and
read
Muslim
texts
to
draw
inspiration
for
his
design.[15] According
to
Pei,
the
light
fountain
in
9th
century Ibn
Tulun
Mosque of Cairo was
the
inspiration.[16]
Declining
all
proposed
sites
for
the
museum,
he
suggested
a
stand-alone
island
for
the
structure
to
avoid
encroachments
by
other
buildings
in
the
future.
It
was
built
off
an
artificial
peninsula,
approximately
60 m
(200 ft)
off
the Doha
Corniche and
surrounded
by
a
somewhat
crescent-shaped
290,000 m2 (3,100,000 sq ft)
park.[15] Pei
requested
that
the
museum
spaces
be
designed
by
his
collaborator
on
the
Louvre
project,
Wilmotte
&
Associates,
who
then
assembled
a
design
team
including
Plowden
&
Smith
(conservation
consultants),
Isometrix
Lighting
+
Design
(lighting
consultants),
and
SG
Conseil
(AV
Consultants)
under
Turner
Projacs.
Along
with
this
design
team,
Leslie
E.
Robertson
Associates
was
the
structural
engineer
for
the
project.
The
main
building
consists
of
the
five
floors,
the
main
dome,
and
the
central
tower.
It
is
connected
with
the
education
ward
via
a
large
central
court.[17] Pei
utilized
creamy limestone for
the
outer
facades
to
emphasize
the
various
shades
during
the
different
times
of
the
day.
The
five
floors
are
covered
by
a
glass
facade
to
the
north,
and
it
provides
a
panoramic
view
of
the Persian
Gulf.
The
interior
of
the
building
is
decorated
by
several
Islamic
arts,
and
the
large
metallic
chandelier
hung
over
the
main
staircase
of
the
lobby.[18] Many
elements
found
in
Ibn
Tulun
Mosque
are
represented
in
the
building
as
an
abstract
form.
This
enables
the
agreement
with
values
and
principles
of
the postmodern
architecture historical
trend
which
synchronize
the
modernity
and
the
historical
Islamic
architectural
identity.[16]
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