Qatar Museums promotes Qatar's cultural heritage sites at Milan Design Week

The initiative, under the patronage of its Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, encouraged designers, architects, financiers, restauranteurs, and others from around the world to combine thoughtfulness, innovation, sustainability, and stewardship to identify new ways to honour Qatar’s past and also create experiences, activations, and installations that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Qatar Museums (QM) took part in the Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile.Milano 2021) recently, promoting the country’s rich history through an initiative that invited the international creative community to reimagine underdeveloped historical sites across Qatar. The initiative, under the patronage of its Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, encouraged designers, architects, financiers, restauranteurs, and others from around the world to combine thoughtfulness, innovation, sustainability, and stewardship to identify new ways to honour Qatar’s past and also create experiences, activations, and installations that can be enjoyed for generations to come. The transformations seek to culturally inspire locals and tourists alike, to ensure that all who visit Qatar are immersed in the country’s culture and can appreciate its unique offerings. A presentation outlining the sites and their possibilities was on display at Milan Design Week.   QM first identified nine underdeveloped cultural sites across Qatar during its inaugural Hospitality Symposium in June 2021. The sites that have been selected for investment, curation, and activation include Al Ghariyah, Al Areesh Village, Al Jassasiya Rock Carving Site, Lekhwair, Al Najadah Houses, Smaisma Houses, Zekreet House, Al Husain Police Station, and Al Jemail. The locations vary in scale, size, and structure, with some steeped in history and existing design to others that function more as a blank canvas.