Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha has appointed Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh to lead a major campus expansion, announced as the institution celebrates its 15th anniversary. The project will redesign the ground floor lobby and library as an open majlis-inspired space, expand the cafe and shop, add a monumental portrait by Yan Pei-Ming, and later transform the plaza and parking area into artist studios, ceramics facilities, glass and material labs, and a sound studio in collaboration with Tarek Atoui. Mathaf director Zeina Arida called the plan 'a new chapter' for the museum.
This expansion matters because it signals Qatar's continued investment in cultural infrastructure, positioning Mathaf as a hub for both presenting and creating art from the Arab world. Ghotmeh's appointment also underscores the growing role of regional architects in shaping major museum projects globally, as she simultaneously works on the Qatar Pavilion for the Venice Biennale, the AlUla Contemporary Art Museum in Saudi Arabia, and renovations at the British Museum and Museum am Rothenbaum in Hamburg.