Oil prices and 2022 World Cup hits culture budget as Qatar forced to make cuts
by Tom Anstey | 16 Mar 2016
The costs associated with preparing for the 2022 World Cup combined with sharply declining oil prices have led to massive cuts in Qatar's culture budget / Qatar Museums
Hit with rising 2022 World Cup costs and declining oil value, Qatar has cut back on its culture spending to try to lower costs for the Gulf state.
The fall in global oil prices has hit Qatar hard, with Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, forced to approve sharp cuts across a number of sectors, including culture.
The Financial Times reports that 240 staff members at Qatar Museums – the leading authority for museums and heritage in Qatar, which aims to be a ‘cultural instigator for the creation generation’ – have been let go, while personal allowances and internal spending have been heavily curbed. Of the 1,200 employees who worked for the authority in 2014, less than two thirds remain.
As a result of the cuts, several museum projects are under threat, including the planned children’s and Orientalist museums, which are “not happening for the foreseeable future”, while plans for a pearl museum are also on hold. Spending on the government-funded Katara Cultural Village has also been slashed but the costs for the upcoming Museum of Islamic Art have been guaranteed, according to the report.
Qatar’s most expensive cultural project – the Jean Nouvel-designed QR1.6bn (US$434m, €390.9m, £302.9m) National Museum has also felt the sting of the slump, with its opening now delayed until 2017.
With the country now focused on delivering infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup, which in itself has been battered with allegations of corruption and bid-rigging within FIFA, it must prioritise the tournament so as not to risk losing it if it appears the country cannot deliver.
Qatar does still have several cultural projects in the pipeline, including the Doha Art Mill development and the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, though with the uncertainties over finance, it brings into question whether these projects will ever become a reality.
As recently as 2012, Qatar spent more than QR5bn (US$1.4bn, €1bn, £807m) on its cultural heritage as the country strived to develop itself into a regional hub for things of historical importance. Speaking in April last year, Qatar Museums (QM) CEO, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, called on the Qatari government to further enhance the region’s museum sector and inspire the country’s youth, saying that cultural tourists spend 63 per cent more on average than other tourists and museums are among the top three family destinations anywhere worldwide.
Qatar World cup Museums culture heritageArchitectural heavyweights battle it out over Doha Art Mill development
International Design Competition announced for expansive art gallery on Doha waterfront
Qatar cleared of World Cup corruption charges by FIFA while England 'violated bidding rules'
Qatar ramps up cultural and heritage spending, according to new government report
Hit with rising 2022 World Cup costs and declining oil value, Qatar has cut back on its culture spending to try to lower costs for the Gulf state. The fall in global oil prices has hit Qatar hard, with Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, forced to approve sharp cuts across a number of sectors, including culture. The Financial Times reports that 240 staff members at Qatar
VAT,HAM,AAC,PUB
More news
OMA-designed department store looks like a rock with a gemstone seam
by Stu Robarts | 27 Mar 2020
A newly opened department store in South Korea, designed by OMA, has the appearance of a rock with a gemstone seam running through it. Created for luxury retailer Galleria, the store has a gross floor area of 137,000sq m (1,475,000sq ft) and is located in the town of Gwanggyo, just south of Seoul. Textured mosaic of varying grey shades gives the impression of the volume having been shaped organically, while
Michael Sorkin dies after contracting COVID-19
by Stu Robarts | 27 Mar 2020
American architect, critic and educator Michael Sorkin has died as a result of complications associated with COVID-19, it has been announced. Sorkin founded his Michael Sorkin Studio design practice in 1980, growing the firm from its base in New York to open additional offices in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Xi’an, with projects delivered around the world. The studio's specialities in cities and green architecture stem in part from
Promotion
‘Best Leisure Architecture UK’ award winner, 2019
GT3 Architects: Placing people at the heart of our projects
View full article
International WELL Building Institute creates respiratory health task force
by Stu Robarts | 27 Mar 2020
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has created a task force that will define the role buildings, organisations and communities can play in tackling COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. The Task Force on Coronavirus will focus on how the places in which we spend our lives can support respiratory wellbeing and be prepared for related health events like the current coronavirus spread. It will draw on insights from experts across
Cognitive Design's body-positive gym design draws on clinical psychology
by Stu Robarts | 26 Mar 2020
Cognitive Design have designed a gym in Georgia, US, with an emphasis on shared experiences, body image, dignity, motivation and community engagement. Clarity Fitness describes itself as "the place for people anywhere in their fitness journey who want to become active participants in a healthy life. It is a place where people can gain insight into themselves through their fitness journey." Located in the city of Decatur, the 7,000 sq
Waterfrom Design create clinical, technological Chinese medicine spa
by Stu Robarts | 26 Mar 2020
Waterfrom Design 's Exhibition of Frozen Time spa in Beijing, China, was conceived to eschew the traditional impression of Chinese medicine in favour of a more clinical and technological approach. Created for Aqua Health Clinic, the facility was conceived to use "medical principles of pulse diagnosis, medication and food therapies as the approach to design specific treatments for visitors to relieve physical and psychological fatigue." Covering 280sq m (3,000sq ft),
Jean-Philippe Nuel: historic buildings make for creative projects
by Stu Robarts | 26 Mar 2020
Hotel and hospitality designer Jean-Philippe Nuel has explained that working on older buildings often makes for more interesting results. Speaking to CLAD in an interview, Nuel said: "Paradoxically, historic buildings often result in more creative projects than new builds because the constraints mean certain situations are unavoidable and this allows us to break the usual standards." "I find historic buildings inspiring," he continued. "The project becomes a story that we
Feilden Fowles to create National Railway Museum's Central Hall
by Stu Robarts | 26 Mar 2020
A team led by Feilden Fowles has won the National Railway Museum 's competition to design its new Central Hall with an elegant timber-frame rotunda. Run in partnership with Malcolm Reading Consultants, the competition was launched in September 2019, with a shortlist of five teams announced in February 2020. Proposals were sought for a £16.5m ($22m, €20m), 4,500sq m (48,400sq ft) centrepiece building to provide a new entrance space and
Royal Senses Resort & Spa Crete will reflect the island's heritage
by Stu Robarts | 25 Mar 2020
Peppas N Architects, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) and Constantina Tsoutsikou are working together to create Royal Senses Resort & Spa Crete for Troulis Royal Collection, with a design inspired by the Cretan heritage. The aim has been to go above and beyond a typical luxury family resort while combining Crete’s rugged landscape and the character of its people with a cosmopolitan style. "The landscape’s rough beauty creates a wonderful juxtaposition
Google Arts & Culture offers virtual tours of museums and galleries during closures
by Lauren Heath-Jones | 25 Mar 2020
Google Arts & Culture has partnered with more than 500 cultural institutions to offer 'virtual museum exploration', following the temporary closure of thousands of art galleries and museums during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online platform designed to provide public access to gallery and museum collections across the globe, Google Arts & Culture uses the same technology developed for Google Maps Street View to enable users to 'walk' through world-famous galleries
David Chipperfield to create new neighbourhood on old Berlin industrial site
by Stu Robarts | 25 Mar 2020
The former Georg-Knorr-Park industrial and production site in Berlin’s Marzahn district is set to be transformed into a new residential and commercial neighbourhood by David Chipperfield Architects. The 9ha (22ac) site currently features a variety of heritage buildings surrounded by urban infrastructure and commercial industry. The new plans will see it converted to accommodate 1,400 affordable rental apartments, 90,000sq m (970,000sq ft) of office and commercial space, green areas, recreational
Studio DB design contemporary and tranquil condos for Brooklyn Heights
by Stu Robarts | 25 Mar 2020
Studio DB have designed a boutique condo development currently under construction in the historic Brooklyn Heights area of New York that offers a contemporary and tranquil base for prospective residents. Covering half a city block, The Symon contains 59 residences, including three penthouses, across 13 storeys. The architects sought to deliver a modern and comfortable design while giving the building its own "bespoke identity". From the outside, that is defined
Wutopia's 52nd-floor bookstore gets the bright white treatment
by Stu Robarts | 24 Mar 2020
Wutopia Lab have created a bookstore on the 52nd floor of Shanghai's tallest building, Shanghai Tower, that incorporates a lecture room, an exhibition space, a coffee shop, a dessert café and a snack outlet. Covering 2,200sq m (23,700sq ft), the store has been designed to accommodate 60,000 books and 2,000 products. It is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows that draw the sky and the cityscape into the space, making the views
Kengo Kuma and K2LD to create Singapore Founders Memorial
by Stu Robarts | 24 Mar 2020
Kengo Kuma & Associates, working with K2LD Architects, have won a competition to create the Singapore Founders’ Memorial with a design that "draws from monuments of the past and the context of the present to create a space for the future." The Founders' Memorial International Architectural Design Competition was launched in January 2019. It sought an integrated building and garden experience, with exhibition galleries, landscaped spaces and art installations, as
Buildings must be more than just functional, says Manuelle Gautrand
by Stu Robarts | 24 Mar 2020
Manuelle Gautrand believes architecture should go beyond simply serving a purpose to provoke unexpected emotion. "I always think about the emotions of the people who will use my buildings," she told CLAD in an interview. "The programme of a building is about functionality, but there’s also something which is not written in the programme. It’s about the emotion that you need to have when you’re living or using a building."
WOHA's Dhaka uni campus will be a lush park oasis
by Stu Robarts | 24 Mar 2020
WOHA Architects are creating a new campus for BRAC University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that will be set in a park and offer a variety of spaces for culture, recreation and social interaction. The vision is for an inner-city campus that is sustainable and sensitively integrated with nature, employs tropical design strategies to accommodate the climate and provides students with an innovative environment for learning and leisure. When it's completed in
Urban Prairie Architectural Collaborative convert brick warehouse into vast bouldering gym
by Stu Robarts | 23 Mar 2020
Urban Prairie Architectural Collaborative (UPAC) have converted a large brick-built warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri, into a bouldering gym with a variety of other fitness facilities. Sequence Climb was the result of a two-year search across the US for the right building by founders Graham and Dara Hess. The 20,000sq ft (1,900sq m) warehouse that they settled on not only provides ample room, but also features a barrel roof under
Baerbel Mueller and Juergen Strohmayer create raised concrete gallery in Accra
by Stu Robarts | 23 Mar 2020
Baerbel Mueller and Juergen Strohmayer have created a new gallery for the Nubuke Foundation art centre in Accra, Ghana, that hovers over the existing garden. The centre, which was founded in 2007 and has a sister site in the Ghanaian town of Wa, hosts programmes supporting the arts, culture, and heritage of the country. The Nubuke Extended project was aimed at expanding the site to create a cultural and civic
Funding boost for Diller Scofidio + Renfro's London Centre for Music
by Stu Robarts | 23 Mar 2020
The London Centre for Music, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, has received a funding boost of nearly £2m ($2.3m, €2.2m) for the next stage of its development. Announced in 2017, the vision for the centre is "to develop a world-class venue for performance and education across all musical genres". It will transform part of and be run by the Barbican performing arts centre and will be a new home
Tridel's high-tech Innovation Suite explores the future of apartment living
by Stu Robarts | 20 Mar 2020
As part of its Ten York condo development in Toronto, developer Tridel has created an Innovation Suite that explores and showcases how technology can be used for the future of apartment living. The suite came about through the desire to gain an understanding of how smart home technologies could meet or exceed the needs of residents. The intention was to integrate technology and design seamlessly to provide connectivity, comfort and
Work restarts on Nickelodeon's giant indoor theme park in China
by Lauren Heath-Jones | 20 Mar 2020
Developers have been given the green light to start work again on the US$750m (£647m, €688m) Nickelodeon theme park development at the Mall of China. Work was suspended as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, however, plans for the construction of the third and fourth phases to resume were approved following an inspection ensuring health requirements were met. Located in the Yubei District of Chongqing City, the Mall of China
Landscaping skills have been lost recently in the Middle East, says Frederic Francis
by Stu Robarts | 20 Mar 2020
Frederic Francis believes a drop-off in landscaping skills is one of the main challenges facing landscape architecture as a discipline in the Middle East. Speaking to CLAD about the challenges of practising in the region, he said: "The first one is the harsh climate, which makes things harder to grow than in Europe. Also, we frequently build landscapes from scratch, where nothing exists other than barren, desert land. "Although there’s
Lemay's smart vertical community in Montreal approaches completion
by Stu Robarts | 20 Mar 2020
The Humaniti mixed-use complex in Montreal is approaching completion, designed by Lemay to achieve WELL Certification and to encourage its residents to interact with their living space. Described as a smart vertical community, the 39-floor, H-shaped complex will feature apartments, a hotel, 57,000sq ft (5,300sq m) of office space and 17,000sq ft (1,600sq m) of retail and commercial space. “The source of inspiration is really two-fold," said Andrew King, senior
Studio Saxe create Costa Rican fitness and rec centre in the trees
by Stu Robarts | 20 Mar 2020
Studio Saxe have created a fitness centre in Costa Rica designed to be a "small village amongst the trees" that brings guests and locals together, as well as close to nature. The Athletic Center was built as an extension of the Gilded Iguana hotel in the town of Nosara. Rather than simply create a single large volume, the architects and the client wanted to work around the trees and the
OMA's social shopping centre will be a community asset
by Stu Robarts | 19 Mar 2020
OMA have unveiled plans for a new shopping centre in Australia that will integrate public spaces, community amenities and facilities for childcare and education to create a more communal experience. Commissioned for Sandhurst Retail, the Wollert Neighbourhood Centre will be located in the Wollert suburb of Whittlesea, just north of Melbourne. Due to break ground in 2023, the 9,000sq m (97,000sq ft) facility is intended to be a neighbourhood asset
HBA's Great Scotland Yard hotel references its police HQ heritage
by Stu Robarts | 19 Mar 2020
A 152-room luxury hotel, designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), recently opened in an 1820s listed building that used to house London's Metropolitan Police headquarters. Great Scotland Yard is now the first Unbound Collection by Hyatt hotel in the UK, but is described by Hyatt as one of the UK capital's most historic buildings. David T’Kint, partner at HBA, explained: "This building is an icon hiding a century and more
Central Coast Aquarium could reopen with new US$12m glazed facility
by Lauren Heath-Jones | 19 Mar 2020
The Central Coast Aquarium (CCA) in Morro Bay, California, could reopen with a contemporary and light-filled glazed building designed by RRM Design Group. The aquarium closed to the public in 2018, but proposals as part of a feasibility study suggest transforming the existing facility into a new 16,000sq ft (1,500sq m) aquarium. Concept drawings outline a multi-level building with full-height glazing in places, balconies and outdoor spaces. The new facility
COX's parametrically-designed maritime museum opens in China
by Stu Robarts | 18 Mar 2020
The National Maritime Museum of China, designed by COX Architecture, has opened in Tianjin after a six-year design and construction process. Covering an area of 80,000sq m (860,000sq ft) on the waterfront, the three-storey museum comprises four long main volumes that are joined together by interconnected spaces. This design was inspired by ideas of jumping carp, corals, starfish, moored ships and an open palm. The volumes cantilever and fan out
FAAB's eco-tower would change the surrounding environment
by Stu Robarts | 18 Mar 2020
FAAB Architektura have designed a conceptual eco-building for Saudi Arabia aimed at changing the environment around it. The Vertical Oasis Building would feature 59 above- and below-ground levels spread across a height of 220m (722ft). A mixed-use programme would include retail, office, hotel and residential spaces, as well as a 712sq m (7,700sq ft) rooftop park. The main feature of the tower's design, though, is a permeable façade broken up
LUO Studio add timber frame to abandoned foundations for new community centre
by Stu Robarts | 18 Mar 2020
LUO Studio recently completed a new community centre in Hubei province, China, by adding a timber frame to a set of existing foundations for a residential project that had been abandoned. It was necessary to find a new home for the Party and Public Service Center of Yuanheguan Village because its existing location had been earmarked to be part of a new hotel development. What's more, there were only two
Hart Howerton create new resort for Jamaica's luxury Half Moon property
by Stu Robarts | 18 Mar 2020
Hart Howerton have designed a new resort for Jamaica's 400ac (162ha) luxury Half Moon property called Eclipse at Half Moon, which is described as "a celebration of authentic Jamaican culture reflecting its surrounding natural beauty." The Eclipse resort joins the existing Founders Cove at Half Moon and Rose Hall Villas at Half Moon resorts at the Salamander Hotels & Resorts -managed location between Montego Bay and the Caribbean Sea. The
Promotion
‘Best Leisure Architecture UK’ award winner, 2019
GT3 Architects: Placing people at the heart of our projects
View full article
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
features
"Funding woes and murky timelines are common problems. It can be easier to make a difference one small project at a time"
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates
cladkit product news
The Corrugation Lights were inspired by midcentury and post-war furniture making techniques
London-based designers Tino Seubert and Theodora Alfredsdottir have teamed up to create Corrugation Lights, a lighting collection inspired by midcentury
...
The Canteen collection was inspired by post-war British design techniques
Very Good & Proper (VG&P), a British furniture brand, has curated a new dining collection that combines traditional woodworking techniques
...
cladkit product news
The Goodies But Oldies collection features three pieces made from repurposed MDF table tops
Daniel Svahn, a Stockholm-based furniture designer, has created a new range of sustainable furnishings, made from recycled MDF tabletops. Svahn,
...
XTU's X Cloud concept is part of the Future and the Arts: AI, Robotic, Cities, Life - How Humanity Will Live Tomorrow exhibition at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo
XTU Architects, a Paris-based architecture firm, has released images and renderings of X Cloud, a new concept that showcase a
...
Gate of Bright Lights was designed to show visitors how screens and digital interfaces have replaced physical objects the gateway between us and the rest of the world.
Multidisciplinary design firm Space Popular has created a video installation for the Gwangmyeongmun Gate at the Deoksugung Palace in Seoul,
...
cladkit product news
The Eclipse Pendant light was inspired by the lunar eclipse
John Pomp Studios, a design practice based in Philadelphia in the US, has expanded its Tidal collection to include five
...
The aluminium fins will form the façade of the upcoming Minories Hotel in Aldgate, London
Metalline, an architectural metalwork specialist based in the UK, has created a range of bespoke 3D twisted metal fins for
...
