The Museum of Islamic Art is located just south of Doha’s Corniche on a man-made island 60 meters from the shore. Protected by a C-shaped peninsula, the limestone and granite building is physically isolated yet highly visible throughout the capital city, appearing as an architectural landmark emerging from the Persian Gulf.

The project ignited a studio-wide exploration into the essence of Islamic architecture across its wide-ranging cultural and regional expressions. That search ultimately centered on the desert sun, and the way it animates and enlivens simple geometric forms. In response, the museum’s exterior is shaped by the interplay of sunlight and shadow, with radiant surfaces and monolithic faceted forms creating depth within the building’s monumental form.