The National Museum of Qatar, located in Doha, Qatar “aims to be a destination for people from around the world that reflects the contemporary spirit of Qatar” ( Nouvel). The museum was inspired by the desert rose which is a mineral formation where minerals crystalize and resemble rose petals. The structure is made of a steel frame that includes a waterproof superstructure supporting interlocking discs. Nouvel was inspired by the idea of the desert rose and how nobody knows the the inside of a desert rose looks like, he then ” created a typology of intersections that makes you question what is inside it”. The structure is an impressive 52,000 square meters and not only encompasses the rich history of Qatar, but the modern city it has turned into. The museum includes gallery spaces, an auditorium and two restaurants.

The museum’s visitor route is approximately one mile and the route includes level changes beginning on the upper floor and leading back down the route. With the concept of the museum Nouvel wanted to create a dialogue between art and information. In order to do so , Nouvel collaborated with the Doha Film Institute to incorporate movie projections along the route. The projections accompanied by a soundscape give the visitors a sense of what the environment was like in Qatar from busting market towns, to the pearling industry to the underwater environment. The museum encourages exploration in order to continue telling the stories of Qatar and grow the country in the promising future.