The architect calls this building his last major cultural building; at the same time, the Doha museum can be ranked among the most successful buildings in his work.
The source of inspiration while working on the project for Pei was the Ibn Tulun mosque of the 9th century in Cairo, more precisely, the fountain for ritual ablutions located in the center of her courtyard. The architect tried to create the same advantageous environment for his construction, but since any site in Doha, which was experiencing a construction boom, could find itself in a few years squeezed by skyscrapers of various sizes, an artificial island had to be poured for the new museum. It is located at the end of the Corniche; an alley lined with palm trees leads to it. Thus, the museum will always be perceived as a self-sufficient work of sculpture, as its author intended.
The building is faced with limestone brought from France; its pyramidal composition is composed of square and octagonal blocks in cross-section, rising to the final cube that hides a dome inside. This dome covers the atrium of the museum, around which there are five floors of exhibition halls. They display 800 works of art from different parts of the Islamic world, spanning the period from the 7th to the 19th century. Museum interiors were designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
In early 2009, it is planned to open a wing of the educational center next to the main building, also designed by J. M. Peem: scientific conferences will be held there.
