From Koolhaas to hotspot
Designs shaping the modern city
9am, Al Rayyan
Stadia and skyscrapers make up Doha’s skyline. But at ground level, architecture is harnessed to create liveable public spaces. In Education City, campuses are linked by green-fringed promenades and a free monorail.
The masterplan for this academic district was laid out by the Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, who has interspersed the huge buildings with playful public art, fountains and green expanses.
From the carriage of the monorail, we enjoy a bird’s eye view of the area as we travel to the northern fringe of the district and spy the Qatar National Library, a spaceship-like construction of glass and white metal designed by another Pritzker winner, Rem Koolhaas. From the outside, the library’s form appears low and squat. Pass through the main entrance, however, and the building reveals a huge, cathedral-like space. From one spot, you can look down into the underground archive space and up to the highest point of the roof. The glass walls curve to deflect the sunlight, illuminating the entire building using only natural light throughout the day. This being Qatar, the library has many cutting-edge features, including a drive-through book return service and an automated system that whisks books to their correct sections on a conveyor belt running through the bowels of the building.
“I love to watch people’s faces as they come through the main door,” says the library’s Ghada Al Mawlawi. “They are always amazed. There is a wow factor.”
Where glimpses of Doha’s history survive, they have been skilfully incorporated into the city’s visionary present. Back at the Design District, Msheireb Museums is a collection of four historic houses in the shadow of the new National Archives building. Dating back to the early 20th century and the height of Qatar’s Arab Deco movement, these houses are the last remnants of the old Doha district that was here, prior to construction beginning on the National Archives in 2010.
The four buildings were remodelled by London-based architects John McAslan + Partners, who worked to bring out their distinctive geometric motifs. They are linked by a series of shaded alleyways, conjuring a sense of what the district was once like. Each hosts a separate museum, respectively telling the stories of the Indian Ocean slave trade, the petroleum industry, traditional Qatari family lifestyle, and the history of the district. “What is different is that these are narrative museums, that focus on research and oral histories,” says general manager Abdulla al Naama. “That is something new internationally. In any country, you can visit shops or restaurants, but it is the cultural experience that will be memorable here.”
Our road trip concludes back at the waterfront. The Museum of Islamic Art is a white monolith that seemingly emerges from the sea. Inside, exhibition halls showcase some of the most iconic designs and examples of craftsmanship from the Muslim world, but the showstopper is the public area: a shady oasis of pools and fountains with the city’s dramatic skyline beyond. Birds swoop through the arches, as the bright red sun completes its descent. Another lively Doha night is beginning, as residents and tourists gather in the park outside the museum to take selfies against the backdrop of the museum’s bold form.
Highlights of the Doha skyline
1.
Katara Towers
Opened ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, this curvaceous new structure added impact to the horizon.
2.
QIPCO Tower
Built in 2008 yet enduring in its design, the graceful “Tornado Tower” is one of Doha’s oldest skyscrapers.
3.
Al Sa’ad Plaza Towers
Four high-rise buildings frame one of Doha’s best loved pieces of public art – a 30-metre-long whale shark.
