Desert Rose: The Dynamic New Design for the National Musuem of Qatar by French Architect Jean Nouvel


The French architect Jean Nouvel has recently unveiled his design for the new National Museum of Qatar to a collective gasp of breath. Indeed, we quite agree liking the strikingly evocative nature of the proposed structure.

A fascinating creation, the museum will comprise a series of interlocking discs of varying dimensions and curvatures, and these will in turn form the walls, ceilings, floors and terraces. Each disc will be made of a steel truss structure coated in glass-reinforced concrete and the crevices between the discs will be glazed. 

It is intended to serve as an emblem of the pride and traditions of Qatar’s people while offering a multifaceted exhibitions programme concerning the rapid change and modernization within the country.

The building reflects the image of a caravanserai – the traditional enclosed resting place that supported the flow of commerce, information and people across desert trade routes – and thus gives tangible expression to the identity of a nation in movement.  Commenting on his winning design, Jean Nouvel declared, ‘The National Museum of Qatar will become the voice of a culture, delivering a message of modernity, metamorphosis and the beauty that happens when the desert meets the sea.’

To view the full blog post, please visit: http://www.dezeen.com/2010/03/24/national-museum-of-qatar-by-jean-nouvel/#more-71194

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