An international search is on for an architect to design the proposed Doha Art Mill.
Qatar Museums has launched a three-stage international design competition, which seeks to round out Qatar’s globally renowned collection of art museums, include IM Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art and Jean Nouvel’s forthcoming National Museum of Qatar.
The competition is open to practising architects with at least seven years experience, post final professional qualification.
The brief is to transform the existing Qatar Flour Mills into one of the largest art galleries in the world. The Flour Mills, currently used for storing imported grain, sits on an 83,500 square metre waterfront site adjoining the Museum of Islamic Art.
The existing structures house a series of voluminous spaces in rhythmically patterned, vertical silos. The adaptive reuse of these spaces will be a critical part of the design.
The gallery should include exhibition, education, conference and event spaces, as well as facilities to support conservation and storage, and community programming.
The first stage of the competition will produce a long list of 20 architects who will then be given a further brief in stage two. In stage three, five finalists will be asked to further develop their concepts. Stage one semifinalists will be awarded £5,000 (A$9,918) and finalists will be awarded £30,000 (A$59,508).
Submissions close 2pm BST (11pm AEST) Friday, 26 June 2015.
