QM Chairperson Unveils Two Landmark Exhibitions Honoring Architect I. M. Pei

English , Qatar - قطر , Snippets , / Friday, October 31st, 2025

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Doha, October 31 (QNA) – HE Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, inaugurated two landmark exhibitions celebrating the life and legacy of the world-renowned architect I. M. Pei, the visionary behind the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).
The exhibitions — I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture, presented in collaboration with M+ Hong Kong at ALRIWAQ, and I. M. Pei and the Making of the Museum of Islamic Art: From Square to Octagon and Octagon to Circle — highlight Pei’s extraordinary contributions to world architecture and his lasting influence on Qatar’s cultural identity.
The opening ceremony was attended by Bernard Chan, Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; Betty Fung, CEO of the Authority; HE Sheikha Reem Al-Thani, Acting Deputy CEO at Qatar Museums; Shaika Nasser Al Nassr, Director of MIA; Catherine Grenier, Director of AMM; Doryun Chong, Artistic Director of M+; Li Chung (Sandi) Pei, son of I. M. Pei; and exhibition co-curators Shirley Surya and Aric Chen, along with dignitaries, architects, and cultural leaders from Qatar and abroad.
The ALRIWAQ exhibition, the first comprehensive retrospective on Pei’s life and work, brings together over 400 pieces, including original drawings, models, photographs, and films. Divided into six sections, it features landmark projects such as the Grand Louvre in Paris, Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, National Gallery of Art’s East Building in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha — his final masterpiece.
At MIA, the accompanying exhibition traces Pei’s creative journey from his 1997 commission by HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to the museum’s 2008 opening, featuring sketches, models, and archival materials displayed publicly for the first time.
Coinciding with both exhibitions, Qatar Museums launched Architecture and Design – Turning Vision Into a Universal Dialogue, a new program of talks, workshops, and curator-led activities that celebrate architecture as a bridge connecting cultures and generations.