QM Announces Permanent Artwork for MIA Park, Created by German Artist Gerhard Richter

Qatar Museums Chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani has announced the creation of Doha Pavilion: Gerhard Richter, a new permanent, site-specific structure by world-renowned German artist Gerhard Richter.

The announcement was made during a special event at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin on Thursday.

Doha Pavilion to Open in MIA Park

Designed by Richter as a free-standing work of art and architecture, the pavilion will house a collection of his paintings and sculptures.

Selldorf Architects worked with Richter to bring his vision to life. The structure will be located in Doha’s MIA Park and is scheduled to be unveiled on November 20, ahead of the opening of Qatar’s new contemporary art quadrennial, Rubaiya Qatar.

Sheikha Al Mayassa Highlights Cultural Importance

Sheikha Al Mayassa announced the project during a roundtable discussion with Annabelle Selldorf, Principal of Selldorf Architects, and Tom Eccles, Advisor for Public Art at Qatar Museums and Co-Curator of Rubaiya Qatar.

She highlighted Qatar’s continued investment in public art and its vision of making art an accessible part of everyday life.

She also described the Doha Pavilion as an important addition to Qatar’s cultural landscape and highlighted its connection to the continuing legacy of the Qatar-Germany 2017 Year of Culture.

Gerhard Richter Shares Inspiration Behind Pavilion

Richter said his visit to Doha in 2013, during the development of his Strip paintings, inspired the idea for the pavilion.

The exterior will feature decorative tiles based on the patterns that inspired his Strip works. Inside, visitors will see Strip paintings alongside his Mirrors, while the Strip Tower will be installed at the centre of the pavilion.

Richter described Doha as the ideal and only place for his pavilion.

Pavilion Combines Art and Architecture

The Doha Pavilion will have a distinctive hexagonal structure designed around several important themes from Richter’s artistic career.

Its six exterior walls will feature repeating patterns displayed on printed panels. The designs are connected to Richter’s 2011 artist’s book Patterns, which documented the creative process behind his Strip paintings.

The project translates these digitally created compositions into an architectural setting, extending Richter’s exploration of painting and visual perception into three dimensions.

Sheikha Al Mayassa Meets Olafur Eliasson

During her visit to Berlin, Sheikha Al Mayassa also participated in a public presentation at the Neue Nationalgalerie with Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson.

Their discussion focused on art, patronage and cultural stewardship.

Sheikha Al Mayassa highlighted Eliasson’s longstanding relationship with Qatar Museums, including his permanent site-specific installation Shadows Traveling on the Sea of the Day and the major exhibition The Curious Desert at the National Museum of Qatar.

Rubaiya Qatar to Bring Global Artists to Doha

The Doha Pavilion will form part of Qatar’s expanding contemporary art landscape alongside Rubaiya Qatar, the country’s new international visual arts quadrennial.

The inaugural edition will run from November 21, 2026, to April 30, 2027, focusing on themes including global ecology, the political and geographical importance of water, and Qatar’s maritime heritage.

More Than 50 Artists to Participate

Rubaiya Qatar will bring together exhibitions and public art installations featuring more than 50 regional and international artists.

The programme will include 25 new commissions and six public art installations, with a particular focus on artists from outside the Western Hemisphere.

Major Cultural Venues Across Qatar

The quadrennial will take place across multiple locations in Doha and other public sites around Qatar.

Key venues include the newly renovated ALRIWAQ Arts + Architecture building, Museum of Islamic Art, Katara QM Gallery and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.

The initiative aims to provide a dynamic cultural platform for emerging generations of artists and thinkers while further strengthening Qatar’s position as an international centre for art and culture.