{"id":797647,"date":"2026-10-10T02:40:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T02:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/797647\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T02:40:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T02:40:49","slug":"lina-ghotmeh-on-her-vision-for-the-british-museums-western-range-galleries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/797647\/","title":{"rendered":"Lina Ghotmeh on her vision for the British Museum’s Western Range galleries"},"content":{"rendered":"

The design rethinks the ten buildings that make up the Western Range \u2013 which have been added to \u03c9 Smirke\u2019s design over the last 190 years \u2013 as a coherent experience. Looking at the models and drawings in Lina\u2019s light-filled Paris studio offers a glimpse into her ambitious vision. Buff-coloured stone in various textures encases the soaring gallery space, which is spread across multiple vertical tiers. Lit by clerestory openings that flood it with light, the ground floor doubles as an agora edged with seating and arched colonnades. Above, balconies lined with historical objects overlook a central display area. There are also research facilities and conservation labs.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

A moodboard with ideas for the concept.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Fuessenich<\/p>\n

Now in the advanced design development stages, the project is billed as one of the biggest cultural renovations anywhere in the world, and will reportedly cost around \u00a31 billion \u2013 the tallest of poppies at a time when some of the nation\u2019s most influential cultural institutions, like the National Gallery and Tate, are faced with financial losses and funding cuts. The British Museum\u2019s approach \u2013 self-generated income that encompasses sponsorships, celebrity-heavy fundraisers, and private donations \u2013 seems to be working. The Pink Ball raised \u00a32.5 million last year, and a partnership with BP brings in \u00a350 million over ten years.<\/p>\n

Adding to the scrutiny is the controversy surrounding the artefacts for which Lina is building a new home: many view works such as the Parthenon Sculptures (5th century BC), the Rosetta Stone (196 BC) and the Benin Bronzes (16th to 17th century) as vestiges of Britain\u2019s colonial past \u2013 and believe they should be returned to the countries from which they were taken.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Lina in her light-filled office.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Fuessenich<\/p>\n

\u2018I think, because I grew up in Lebanon \u2013 a place that is full of contradictions and conflict \u2013 I can see the many complexities,\u2019 says Lina of the collection, a significant chunk of which connects to her own culture<\/a>. \u2018What I have found inspiring during this collaboration is how the British Museum team is open to difficult conversations, and is willing to think about the collection in a way that demonstrates these intricacies. Our design makes room for new perspectives, as we join the dots between creativity from different parts of the world and explore how culture is evolving\u2019.<\/p>\n

linaghotmeh.com<\/a> | britishmuseum.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The design rethinks the ten buildings that make up the Western Range \u2013 which have been added to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":797648,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,6200,50,1012,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-797647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-magazine","tag-news","tag-textaboveleftsmall","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797647\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/797648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}