Knowledge Centre to open in two months
By Sarmad Qazi
Dohaland’s Knowledge Enrichment Centre (KEC), a cultural and education centre off the Doha Corniche, will be opened to public in two months’ time, officials said yesterday.
Officially inaugurated by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad at the groundbreaking ceremony of Dohaland’s first project ‘Musheireb’ on Wednesday evening, the KEC will only host scheduled events until March.
“Through the KEC, Dohaland has fulfilled Her Highness’ wish to create a common platform to share with people the 3-year long study and research that has gone behind the creation of a new Qatari architectural language,” Dohaland chief executive officer Eng Issa al-Mohannadi said yesterday during a briefing aboard KEC.
Built on a floating platform off the Doha Corniche and measuring 91m long and 24m wide, with a building floor area of 1,200sqm, the KEC design draws from the maritime history of Qatar when trade, fishing and pearl diving were the cornerstones of regional economy.
Many of the ceilings, panels, doors, shutters and some of the furniture are adorned with calligraphy, inscriptions, patterns and carvings inspired by the culture and artistic history of the region.
To mark the launch of KEC, an exhibition ‘A Blueprint for the Future’, will be open pertaining to Doha’s built environment from the past, through the present and looking to the future.
The exhibition is presented in three sections ‘Qatar – The Past,’ ‘Doha – The Evolving City’, and ‘The Musheireb Project’.
The KEC has been designed by international architects Allies and Morrison, who are also involved with the Musheireb master plan and are designing some of the buildings in first phase.
The firm’s Doha office head Simon Gathercole said the Centre possesses a sophisticated simplicity: “The hull is made from steel, but the building uses natural materials such as timber and stone. The structure is simple and solid. But in some areas it has architectural components that are elaborate and ornate.”
Bloomberg reported yesterday that Dohaland plans to select two prime contractors in the next two months for the first phase of the $5.5bn ‘Musheireb’ urban renewal project, quoting project director Mohamed Mansour al-Marri.
