National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has won two LCD Berlin Awards. National Museum of Qatar is the only cultural destination in the world to have won two prestigious LCD Berlin Awards: the New Culture Destinations of the Year award in the ‘Middle East / and Africa’ category and the Leading Culture Destinations of the Year award for Best Museum Shop.
Now in their sixth edition, the LCD Awards highlight the world’s best established and emerging cultural destinations, recognising their exceptional contribution to cultural life, the Museum said in a press release yesterday.
The New Culture Destinations of the Year awards highlight the significant role of culture in changing the perception of towns and cities and influencing their future development, while the Leading Culture Destinations of the Year awards highlight the experiential shift of cultural destinations into social hubs where visitors can explore, dine, shop, work – and even sleep.
Ahmad Al Namla, CEO at Qatar Museums, said: “Since the National Museum of Qatar opened last year, it has been widely acclaimed as leading example of modern architecture which, through its exhibitions and offerings, has given citizens, residents and visitors a unique opportunity to engage in the country’s history and development. We are honoured that LCD Berlin has chosen the museum and its gift shop to be the recipient of the New Culture Destinations of the Year (Middle East/Africa) and Leading Culture Destinations of the Year – Best Museum Shop.”
In a joint statement, the jury noted: “The 2020 LCD Berlin Awards shine a light on culture, art and travel, showcasing unique cultural experiences around the world. From local to global perspectives, the winners of the 2020 awards offer new and exciting opportunities to explore our relationship with public spaces, tradition, and identity. Over the years, the LCD Awards have offered a unique platform for the winners to showcase their cultural assets and reach global travellers wishing to immerse themselves in arts and culture. These winning destinations and institutions showcase just how deep the symbiosis between art, culture and travel is.”
The winners of the LCD Berlin Awards 2020 were selected by a distinguished international jury.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the National Museum of Qatar tells the story of the country’s heritage and culture through commissioned films and artworks, storytelling, artefacts and music, combining wide-ranging scholarship with the voices of the people of Qatar. The National Museum is organised as a thematic and chronological sequence of galleries, which take the visitor on a 1.5-km (9-mile) journey through immersive, multisensory experiences. The new building is based on the form of the desert rose, composed of large interlocking disks of different diameters and curvatures. The winners of the LCD Berlin Awards were announced at an awards ceremony in Berlin on March 4 during LCD Berlin.