Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Welcomes Dignitaries and Guests to the Site of the Future Qatar Pavilion in Venice's Historic Giardini, Presents a Special Conversation with Architect Lina Ghotmeh and Opens the exhibition
Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa, Qatar's Official Presentation in the 19TH International Architecture Exhibition
Caption: Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Marks the Site of the Future Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini of La Biennale di Venezia During the 19th International Architectural Exhibition with President of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and Lina Ghotmeh, architect of the future Qatar Pavilion. Photo by Simone Padovani/Getty Images for Qatar Museums
DOHA, 9 May 2025 – During the pre-opening events for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, hosted a series of historic ceremonies, discussions and celebrations on 8 May, marking Qatar's heightened presence on this pre-eminent stage of the international art world.
Caption: Opening of Qatar's Participation in the 19th International Architectural Exhibition
- La Biennale di Venezia, Courtesy Qatar Museums
In Venice's Giardini, the heart of La Biennale di Venezia, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa welcomed Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro, President of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and Qatar's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Italy H.E. Khalid bin Youssef Khalifa Abdullah Al Sada to the site of the future Qatar Pavilion. When completed, the Qatar Pavilion will be only the third national Pavilion added to the prestigious Giardini in more than fifty years.
"Qatar will join the great chorus of nations in the Giardini, where architecture becomes diplomacy, and beauty speaks peace," H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa said before the invited audience of dignitaries, distinguished guests and media. "Our Pavilion, crafted by the brilliant Lina Ghotmeh, will embody hospitality, resilience and our collective dreams.
The Qatar Pavilion will be a home for exchange, for wonder, for the world — a place to engage in multiple dialogues that foster peace and inspire understanding. It will also be the place where we showcase the art, architecture and creativity of Qatar and our entire region of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia." Her Excellency then opened the temporary installation that Qatar is presenting on the site: Community Centre, designed by architect Yasmeen Lari/Heritage Foundation of Pakistan.
Caption: Community Centre by Architect Yasmeen Lari on the site of the future Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini of La Biennale di Venezia. Photo by Simone Padovani/Getty Images for Qatar Museums
Community Centre is part of the exhibition, Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa, Qatar's official presentation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition continues at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, where H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa later welcomed guests to two discussions organised under the auspices of Qatar Creates and its Evolution Nation initiative, celebrating fifty years of Qatar's cultural journey.
Yasmeen Lari, designer of Community Centre, conversed with renowned Indian architect Raj Rewal in a discussion moderated by Sean Anderson, Associate Professor at Cornell University and co-curator of Beyti Beytak.
Speaking about the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, Yasmeen Lari said, "The exhibition's theme of hospitality is about taking care of each other. So it is important to use materials that are not threatening to people and the planet and that have a certain warmth, like the bamboo of Community Centre. The decision by Her Excellency and the curators to bring Community Centre to Venice sends a very powerful message: wealth is not necessarily the criterion. It's how you treat the planet and how you treat the people."
For the second part of the conversations, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa engaged in a discussion about the future Qatar Pavilion with Lina Ghotmeh, founder and principal of the Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture, moderated by noted architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff.
H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa said, "This is a national pavilion that will reflect what Qatar does in the world, which is to support Arab voices across all pursuits—social, economic, and of course creative—and so it is important to have an Arab architect. Our goal is to elevate Arab creatives as well as others from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia."
Lina Ghotmeh said, "Qatar is a place where the world comes to discuss serious matters while the nation continues to foster cultural diplomacy through art and creativity. This is the vocation of the permanent Qatar Pavilion as well—to be a place where visitors can discover art as a way of bringing people together.
"The question of hospitality is at the center of the design of the Qatar Pavilion. It is about how a place can embrace people and allow these encounters, especially at this location, which is really at the heart at the Giardini. Opening up this new platform for Arab voices and presenting us in our diversity brings a new perspective to the Giardini."
Winning proposal for the Future Qatar Pavilion
by Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture: working document, 2025
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in conversation with Qatar Pavilion Architect Lina Ghotmeh moderated by Architecture Critic Nicolai Ouroussoff at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, Courtesy Qatar Museums
The Qatar Pavilion was conceived by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa with the support and guidance of the Amir, H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as a major new resource for the nation in its role of fostering dialogue and international exchange through its museums, exhibitions, artist residencies, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations and programmes. Envisioning the Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini as a highly important extension of this commitment, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa had requested a design that would speak to the values and histories that Qatar shares with others across its region while also engaging with the multi-layered fabric of Venice.
Following the conversation with Lina Ghotmeh, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa officially opened Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa, ushering guests into ACP-Palazzo Franchetti's galleries and inviting them to an evening reception in the Palazzo's garden.
About Qatar Museums
Now marking its 20th anniversary, Qatar Museums (QM) is the nation's preeminent
institution for art and culture, providing authentic and inspiring cultural experiences
through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves and expands the nation's cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar and the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the development of museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, and Design Doha. Future projects include Art Mill Museum, Lusail Museum, Dadu: Children's Museum of Qatar, and Qatar Auto Museum.
Through its Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, M7, the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs —that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.
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