(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The global search for the designer of the Art Mill in Doha, envisioned as one of the world's leading cultural centres, is gathering momentum as Qatar Museums (QM) announced a list of 26 architects, chosen from 489 submissions.
Qatari firm Arab Engineering Bureau, whose architectural projects include HSBC and Barwa headquarters and the Foreign Ministry building, is among competitors from countries, including Spain, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and Canada and will move to the second stage of the design competition.
The project involves redevelopment of a spectacular and historic waterfront site in the centre of Doha, at the heart of an emerging cultural quarter of the city.
The Art Mill is conceived as a vibrant and multi-layered civic and cultural presence, a focus for the emerging campus of museums and cultural institutions at the eastern end of the Corniche.
Occupied by Qatar Flour Mills, the site extends into Doha Bay, with the Arabian Sea on three sides. It adjoins the park around I.M.Pei's Museum of Islamic Art, and close to landmarks, including the Corniche and Jean Nouvel's National Museum of Qatar under construction.
H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson, QM, said: "The Qatar Flour Mills Company has a distinguished name in the Gulf as a pioneer in food production.
"Now that it is relocating to the new port, we are grateful to be given this building. In converting and reinventing it, we hope to feed the community with latest cultural developments and artistic creations from around the world and establishing a platform for the Arab world to present work within Qatar's international context.
"The recent conversion of the fire station in Doha into artists' residences has proved to be popular, with over 150 applicants for 20 studios. Similarly, the number of designers interested in the Art Mills project surpassed our expectations. We are excited by the variety and range of interested talent and look forward to the outcome of the competition.
"To have Museum of Islamic Art, built by I.M.Pei, National Museum of Qatar by Nouvel, and the Art Mill development within walking distance will give our community a unique cultural offering combining art, architecture and urban design."
Malcolm Reading, Chairman, Malcolm Reading Consultants, and competition organiser, said: "This is a strong list of quality and promise. The selection is a profile of global creative DNA. It gives architects practising in different cultures and contexts the opportunity to bring new perspectives and insights to a project brimming with imaginative possibility."
A brief on the project and the international jury for the competition will be released early next month. Competitors will be asked to envision strategies for the site and its links to the city. From the best analyses, a shortlist of five architects will be announced in early 2016. They will be given further briefing and progress onto more detailed concept designs for conversion and extension of Flour Mills' structures.
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