Qatar opened the building of the national museum by architect Nouvel

Doha - A new building of the Qatari National Museum designed by the world-renowned French architect Jean Nouvel was opened in Doha on Wednesday. The design was inspired by the desert rose, reported the DPA agency.

The opening of the museum is a moment of pride for the country, said Sheikha Maiasa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairwoman of the Qatar Museum Authority. "Culture brings people together, and we believe that with this new museum we have created an extraordinary platform for dialogue," said the sister of the Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The new museum on the waterfront of the Qatari capital will open to the general public for the first time today. The roof of the building consists of many elements resembling petals. In eleven rooms designated for the permanent exhibition, artifacts related to the history of the small desert emirate and contemporary artworks will be displayed across more than 40,000 square meters.

According to DPA, the cost of constructing the museum exceeded 400 million euros (10.3 billion crowns), but official figures are not available. The opening of the building was delayed by more than two years.

The Qatari National Museum is among the remarkable architectural works that make Qatar's capital more attractive to foreign visitors. The Museum of Islamic Art and the Arab Museum of Modern Art already have international renown. Qatar, which is one of the richest countries in the world thanks to its natural gas reserves, is also set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Architect Nouvel also designed the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2017 in the United Arab Emirates. From 1994 to 2000, he designed the administrative complex Zlatý anděl in Prague's Smíchov district.