ART MILL COMPETITION

An international call for the redevelopment of the existing Qatar Flour Mills went out mid-2015. We submitted our credentials and were selected as one of the 26 international companies out of 489 submissions to move onto stage 2 of the design competition.

Competition called for adaptive re-use of QFM into innovative and modern Art Mill development that would sit in the prominent location on the Corniche just by MIA and MIA park. The Art Mill is conceived as a vibrant and multi-layered civic and cultural presence, a focus for the emerging campus of museums and cultural institutions at the eastern part of the Corniche. Design required the teams to develop a masterplan and landscape design that would allow the development to fit into the existing context of MIA and Al Riwaq gallery surrounding and park. But most importantly, design competition called for renovation and a creative solution to the adaptive re-use of the existing building. 64 massive silos are to remain in the main building which will result in a one of a kind exhibition space.

The Art Mill will be a space of informal, life-long learning open to individuals of all ages and nationalities interested in expressing themselves in creative ways.

Art Mill – A World Class Cultural Destination.

Revitalizing the old four mill complex as an art and cultural hub, the Art Mill will speak to Qatar’s modern role in industry – known for years for its Oil & Gas activities, today Qatar is establishing itself as a leader in the Art industry.
Fittingly, the Art Mill becomes a world-class cultural hub for the display of contemporary art, setting the bar for international creative curation and communication and establishing new benchmarks in conservation and collection practices.

The Art Mill will focus on active engagement with arts, culture and heritage.

The idea The Art Mill leads logically to the concept of Art in the Park and thereby to The Sunken Art Park, the Dahal.

The Design Vision

Qatar has a rich and fertile cultural landscape and from this ground, this soil, a bountiful future can grow… the Art Mill is a synthesis of all that Qatar has been, is and can be. The Art Mill builds upon the legacy of the visionary leaders who founded Qatar’s cultural institutions that are developing to become celebrated museums housing world-renowned collections. It will instigate a culture of participation and help fuel arts and culture from within Qatar in order for people to engage in a cultural exchange between Qatar and the world. By emphasizing active engagement with the arts and by creating cultural experiences that spill out into peoples’ daily lives, art will become a necessity rather than a luxury, and an integral part of life. A vibrant cultural sector that encourages innovation and creativity will lead the transition to the knowledge-based economy envisioned in the Qatar National Vision of 2030.

Supporting National Development The National Development Strategy outlines the aims of the Qatar National Vision of 2030 and highlights the particular importance of culture for social development and national progress. Qatar Museums, the driving force behind developments in museums, arts and culture in Qatar is hence a key contributor to the developments outlined in the National Vision. Our concept for the Art Mill will actively support Qatar in achieving these aims…