Lina Ghotmeh to design Jadids’ Legacy Museum in uzbekistan
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) appoints architect Lina Ghotmeh to design the Jadids’ Legacy Museum in Bukhara, a project that reimagines the former residence of reformist leader Usmon Khodjaev as a cultural landmark. Due to open in 2027, the museum is designed to explore the ideas and influence of Jadidism, the reform movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that sought to modernize education, foster cultural renewal, and expand intellectual horizons across Central Asia. The commission also marks Ghotmeh’s first project in the region.
‘Working on this museum is an honor, as it aligns with my fascination for history and heritage and my constant search for meaningful inspiration to shape the architecture of tomorrow,’ Lina Ghotmeh shares. ‘This project allowed me to explore the Jadid movement, whose courage to reimagine education and society – placing women at the heart of social transformation – I deeply admire.’
The museum is part of a growing network of institutions spearheaded by ACDF that seek to place Uzbekistan’s cultural identity on the global stage. In Bukhara alone, this includes the recently launched Bukhara Biennial, while nationwide initiatives range from the revitalization of the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent to the Tadao Ando-designed National Museum of Uzbekistan, currently under construction (find designboom’s previous coverage here).
elevation sketch | Jadids’ Legacy Museum renders by Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture, courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)
A historic residence Reborn Through Archaeology of the Future
The building chosen to house the Jadids’ Legacy Museum once belonged to Usmon Khodjaev (1878–1968), a central figure in the Jadid movement and the first president of the short-lived Bukhara People’s Republic. Born into a merchant family in Bukhara, Khodjaev studied in Istanbul, where he raised funds to establish Jadid schools. Returning to Uzbekistan in 1913, he helped form the Young Bukharans, a group of reform-minded intellectuals advocating for educational and social change. His later career extended into diplomacy and scholarship, including leadership at the Institute for the Study of Turkic Culture in Ankara.
Known for projects such as the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion in London, the Stone Garden tower in Beirut, and her current commission to renovate the British Museum’s Western Range galleries, Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh describes her method as an Archaeology of the Future.
ACDF appoints architect Lina Ghotmeh to design the Jadids’ Legacy Museum in Bukhara | Iwan
Carrying the Jadids’ Vision in Bukhara forward
Located beside Lyabi-Hauz, Bukhara’s 17th-century square and gathering place, the house has witnessed a transformative era in the region’s history. In a gesture of continuity, Khodjaev’s son, Professor Temur Khodja, has pledged the property to the Ministry of Culture to guarantee its continuity as a museum dedicated to Jadid heritage. The word originates in Arabic and Persian, where jadid means ‘new’. Initially applied to modern educational methods, the word came to represent a wider program of cultural and social reform in Central Asia. The movement emphasized literacy, the inclusion of women in education, and engagement with global intellectual currents, while remaining grounded in local identity.
For the ACDF, the museum is an opportunity to bring these stories into the present, establishing a space for reflection on how the reformers’ vision continues to resonate today. Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of ACDF and head of the Department for Creative Economy and Tourism, describes the project as a chance to connect past and present. ‘The Jadids’ Legacy Museum will tell the story of visionaries whose belief in knowledge, cultural renewal, and openness resonates powerfully today. In Bukhara, their legacy is part of the city’s fabric, and an inspiration for all generations,’ she notes.
the museum is designed to explore the ideas and influence of Jadidism | garden view
the commission also marks Ghotmeh’s first project in the region | home
part of a growing network of institutions spearheaded by ACDF | scholarly impact
project info:
name: Jadids’ Legacy Museum
architect: Lina Ghotmeh—Architecture | @linaghotmeh_architecture
location: Bukhara, Uzbekistan
commissioner: Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) | @acdfuz
completion: 2027