New York based architects Rafael Viñoly have unveiled plans for the Museum of Modern Arab Art in Doha, Qatar.

The museum will house over 10,000 articles from the collection of Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Al-Thani.

The collection, ranging from abstract paintings to the earliest Qur'anic manuscripts, will expand as the museum acquires work from contemporary Arabian artists.

The 33,000 square metre project is due to be completed in 2011.

The following is from Rafael Viñoly Architects:

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Rafael Viñoly Architects has been commissioned to design the Museum of Modern Arab Art, within the Qatar Foundation’s Education City campus in Doha.

The museum will house Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Al-Thani’s collection of modern Arab art and important regional antiquities, composed of more than ten thousand pieces in all mediums.

This collection will form the initial basis of the museum’s holdings and inform its future acquisitions program.

The Museum will comprise approximately 355,000 square feet of accommodation for several uses.

In addition to providing archival-quality controlled environments for the display of art, there is also a library and spaces for the display of art, there is also a library and spaces for the study of Arabic art.

The curation and management of the museum will be housed on-site, as will preservation and collection maintenance facilities.

The building is set into a landscape of sculpture gardens and outdoor terraces which take advantage of the favorable climate, and also has provision for visitor parking.

Once housed in its permanent location, the museum will become an important cultural attraction to Qatar for both the public and specialist researchers.

Creating a place to display and explore this collection provides researchers, artists, art historians, students, visitors and local residents with access to the cultural heritage and current art practice within Arab culture documented by this collection.

The museum will stimulate creativity, educate about the culture whose works it displays, and promote art appreciation to new and existing audiences.

RVA Project Team

Aramouny, Carla
D’Cotta, Cristina
Duren, Ariel
Farid, Omar
Hodge, David
Lee, Yueh-Hung
McManama, Lauren
Pohl, Jonathon
Rampy AIA, Gil
Robles, David
Salinas Noel
Xu, Yunchao
Zirek, Seda