Published On 3/11/2025
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Last update: 13:51 (Mecca time)
To celebrate the extraordinary legacy of the world-renowned architect I.M. Pei, designer of the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar Museums has opened two major exhibitions dedicated to his life and career.
The two exhibitions were opened by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in the presence of the architect’s son (Sandy Bay) and a number of his former colleagues who worked with him on designing the Museum of Islamic Art.
The first exhibition, entitled “I.M. Pei: Architecture Shaping Life,” is being held at Qatar Museums Gallery – Al Rawaq in partnership with the M+ Museum in Hong Kong.
This exhibition is the first comprehensive review of Pi’s life, and includes more than 400 rare objects, including drawings and models of his famous projects around the world, such as the Louvre Pyramid and the Museum of Islamic Art.
As for the second exhibition, it will be held at the Museum of Islamic Art, entitled “I.M. Pei and the Design of the Museum of Islamic Art: From the Square to the Octagon and from the Octagon to the Circle.” This exhibition focuses specifically on the creative journey behind the design of Doha’s architectural masterpiece, and displays original documents and drawings, many of which have been revealed for the first time, documenting Pei’s quest to capture “the essence of Islamic architecture.”
any. or. Pai: Architecture shapes life
Organized in partnership with the M+ Museum of Visual Culture in Hong Kong, “I.M. Pei: Architecture Shapes Life” is a traveling exhibition that travels through the gallery space and is the first comprehensive retrospective dedicated to the life of architect I.M. Pei: Architecture Shapes Life. or. Bai and his creative practices. The exhibition also brings together more than 400 pieces of exhibits under one roof, ranging from drawings, architectural models, photographs, films, and rare archival documents, all original, to present an integrated vision of his unique practices, and to place his architectural projects in dialogue with social, cultural, and personal paths, highlighting how architecture intersects with life and expresses it at the same time.
This exhibition is presented in 6 thematic sections: Bay’s Transcultural Foundations, Real Estate and Urban Redevelopment, Art and Civic Character, Power, Politics and Patronage, Innovation in Materials and Structure, and Reinterpreting History through Design.
Among the most important architectural projects covered in the exhibition are: the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the modernization of the Grand Louvre Museum in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, which is considered the last of Bai’s architectural masterpieces, a symbol with a lasting impact on the development of the cultural scene in Qatar.
The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Visual Culture (M+), and is curated by Shirley Soria, Curator of Design and Architecture at the Museum of Visual Culture (M+), and Eric Chen, Director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation in London. The exhibition is based on 7 years of research conducted by the Museum of Visual Culture “M+”, and arrives in Doha after two successful shows in Hong Kong (June 2024) and Shanghai (April 2025).
any. or. Bay and the design of the Museum of Islamic Art: from square to octagon and from octagon to circle
As for the Museum of Islamic Art, the exhibition “E.M. Pei and the Design of the Museum of Islamic Art” will welcome the public, highlighting the creative journey behind one of the most famous architectural masterpieces of the 21st century. The exhibition is jointly organized by the Museum of Islamic Art, the Art Mills Museum and Al Riwaq, and traces Bay’s commission to build the museum by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his quest to extract “the essence of Islamic architecture.”
The exhibition includes original drawings, architectural models, early photographs and archival documents, many of which are on display for the first time to the public, retracing Pei’s process of transforming centuries of tradition into a modern architectural masterpiece.
The exhibition is curated by Aurélien Lemonnier, Curator of Architecture, Design and Gardens at the Art Mills Museum, and his colleague at the same museum, Zahra Khan, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, in close cooperation with Dr. Mounia Shikhab Abu Dayyeh, Deputy Director of the Museum of Islamic Art for Museum Affairs. The exhibition extends across 7 sections, starting from the 1997 International Architecture Competition to the opening of the Museum of Islamic Art in 2008, and the lasting impact it had on Doha and beyond.
In conjunction with the two exhibitions, a new program entitled “Architecture and Design – Transforming Vision into Global Dialogue” will be launched in a series of programs that constitute Qatar Museums’ new platform for discussion and exchange of ideas in the architectural field. The program includes a variety of seminars, workshops, and academic partnerships, presented by international architects and designers, in addition to a number of specialists from the region.
Accompanying activities will be held at both the Museum of Islamic Art and the Al Riwaq space, and include tours accompanied by the exhibition’s curators, interactive workshops, family events, and educational activities aimed at engaging visitors of all ages. These programs contribute to enhancing the public’s appreciation of architecture as a universal language, one whose ability to bridge cultures, histories, and societies is demonstrated by Pai’s work.
“I.M. Pei: Architecture Shaping Life” and “I.M. Pei and MIA Design: From Square to Octagon, Octagon to Circle” are both presented as part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign that honors Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar.
Organized by “Qatar Creates”, the national movement that consolidates Qatar’s position as a global center for art, culture and creativity, the “Evolving Nation” campaign highlights the country’s cultural milestones and its future aspirations. The two exhibitions are held within the framework of the Years of Culture initiative, which celebrates the cross-cultural vision of architect Bay, as the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, which he designed, represents a symbol of cultural exchange between Qatar and the world.