Lusail Museum ceremonial groundbreaking to be held this December: Sheikha Mayassa

Lusail Museum

The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Lusail Museum, designed by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, is scheduled for December, according to an announcement by H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Chairperson of Qatar Museums, during the inaugural episode of her podcast, "The Power of Culture."

The Lusail Museum, envisioned as a global think tank and world-class art museum, will be situated in Lusail. Sheikha Al Mayassa described the museum as a groundbreaking institution rooted in diverse ideas and perspectives, fostering constructive dialogue on pressing contemporary issues.

The podcast's debut featured a conversation with Jacques Herzog, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, who shared insights into his design approach and the uniqueness of each project. Herzog emphasized his desire to approach projects differently to avoid being confined to a specific style, stating that architecture should respond to the diversity of specific places.

Herzog underscored the significance of the Lusail Museum, not just as architecture or investment, but as a smartly programmed initiative that will bring life to the land, infusing both commercial and cultural vitality into the Lusail project.

Addressing materials, Herzog emphasized the use of locally sourced materials for the museum, leveraging Qatar's abundant resources such as sand, stone, minerals, and salt. This approach aims to create a conglomerate of materials, reducing the need for importing resources.

Describing the museum's shape, Herzog explained that it resembles a fragment of a sphere, symbolizing the universal form of matter. The building serves as the foundation for a fragment of the city or a piece of land, becoming an integral part of the landscape.

Herzog emphasized the holistic concept of the Lusail Museum, where everything—from form and ornament to space and façade—is unified through the use of the same materials. The museum aspires to offer diverse and powerful experiences as visitors explore its carved-out spaces.