Architect Lina Ghotmeh Chosen to Design Qatar’s Permanent Venice Pavilion

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Renowned architect Lina Ghotmeh will add to her list of buildings important to the global art scene with Qatar’s permanent national pavilion for the Venice Biennale.

Selected through an international competition led by a panel chaired by architect Rem Koolhaas, Ghotmeh’s design will be only the third new structure built in Venice’s Giardini over the past 50 years, following pavilions by Australia and South Korea.

While specific design details have yet to be disclosed, the Lebanese-born architect’s proposal was commended for its architectural clarity and sensitivity to context.

Ghotmeh’s past projects include the Bahrain pavilion for the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka, the Estonian National Museum, the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion in London, and ongoing works in Hamburg, Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, and at the British Museum.

Once completed, the pavilion will be managed by Qatar Museums and serve as a platform for showcasing Qatar’s cultural and artistic contributions across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

Qatar Museums chair Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said Ghotmeh has a worldview and sensibility grown from her native Lebanon to reach across cultures.

‘She has wholeheartedly embraced our vision for the Qatar Pavilion as a platform for the artistic, architectural, and cultural creativity of our nation and the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.’ —[O]

Main image: Lina Ghotmeh. Photo: © Kimberly Lloyd.