\u00a0<\/p>\n
The expansion begins at ground level, where a redesigned lobby and library introduce a new social threshold to the museum. Conceived as a majlis-inspired space, the open plan is organized around modular furniture elements that support reading, conversation, and public programs while remaining adaptable over time. Ghotmeh\u2019s ongoing work for Qatar also includes the first permanent national pavilion in the Giardini of La Biennale di Venezia, announced earlier this year (see designboom\u2019s coverage here<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n lina ghotmeh\u2019s library, caf\u00e9, and atrium<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n With the ground-level phase, architect<\/a> Lina Ghotmeh establishes the tone for the wider expansion of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. The library brings together art publications from the region alongside museum and Qatar Museums titles, forming a space that encourages lingering and return visits. A caf\u00e9 and expanded book and gift shop extend the sequence, allowing the ground floor to function as a daily point of entry for the campus.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n New visual landmarks within the atrium reinforce the museum<\/a>\u2019s civic presence. A large-scale portrait by Yan Pei-Ming joins earlier commissions dedicated to Qatar\u2019s leadership, situating the renewed interior within the institution\u2019s ongoing narrative while framing the atrium as a place of gathering.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n upcoming plans range from displays to makers\u2019 spaces<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Future phases extend beyond the existing building footprint, transforming the current plaza and adjacent service areas into purpose-built studios for artists and designers. Facilities for ceramics will support large-scale production through shared work areas and specialized equipment developed with practicing artists. Spaces dedicated to glass, woodworking, and material experimentation will sit alongside a sound studio shaped through collaboration with composer and artist Tarek Atoui<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Together, these environments form the basis of a new residency program that positions the Arab Museum as a site of sustained practice. Exhibitions tied to the anniversary program, including interventions by Atoui and Gabriel Chaile<\/a>, preview how making, research, and display will coexist across the campus.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n a unified design language<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Across the site, Lina Ghotmeh\u2019s approach emphasizes continuity and material presence. Existing warehouses will be adapted into studios through a consistent architectural skin that brings coherence to varied volumes. This curtain-like envelope mediates light and scale while giving the campus a legible identity from afar.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At ground level, a continuous earthen surface will link buildings and outdoor spaces through a landscape attuned to regional climate conditions. The expansion reframes Mathaf as an active environment for learning and production, extending the institution\u2019s mission through architecture that supports daily use, long stays, and evolving forms of artistic work.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n project info:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n name:\u00a0Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art<\/a> | @mathafmodern<\/a><\/p>\n architect:\u00a0Lina Ghotmeh<\/a> | @linaghotmeh<\/a><\/p>\n location:\u00a0Doha, Qatar<\/p>\n![\"lina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lina-ghotmeh-architecture-MATHAF-arab-museum-modern-art-doha-expansion-designboom-01.jpg\")
Mathaf announces a major campus expansion in Doha | visualizations \u00a9 Lina Ghotmeh<\/p>\n![\"lina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lina-ghotmeh-architecture-MATHAF-arab-museum-modern-art-doha-expansion-designboom-02.jpg\")
the Arab Museum marks its fifteenth anniversary with a reconfigured ground floor<\/p>\n![\"lina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lina-ghotmeh-architecture-MATHAF-arab-museum-modern-art-doha-expansion-designboom-03.jpg\")
a majlis-inspired library introduces flexible spaces for reading and gathering<\/p>\n![\"lina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lina-ghotmeh-architecture-MATHAF-arab-museum-modern-art-doha-expansion-designboom-04.jpg\")
a new caf\u00e9 and bookshop extend the museum daily life beyond exhibitions<\/p>\n![\"mathaf:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lina-ghotmeh-architecture-MATHAF-arab-museum-modern-art-doha-expansion-designboom-05.jpg\")
future phases convert surrounding sites into artist studios and workshops<\/p>\n![\"mathaf:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/lina-ghotmeh-architecture-MATHAF-arab-museum-modern-art-doha-expansion-designboom-06.jpg\")
ceramics, glass, sound, and material practices shape the new residency program<\/p>\n