At the centre of the 31-hectare masterplan for Downtown Doha, the project is a seven-storey building that contains two 500- and 150-seat theatres, three cinemas, temporary exhibition spaces, performance and artists’ studios, an outdoor sky theatre, and a roof-top restaurant. The volume is conceived as a massive block into which spaces, routes, and courtyards have been carved and, taking inspiration from traditional courtyard houses, it features a central atrium surmounted by a screened skylight. Conceived as an extension of the adjacent public square, the significant cantilever at the main entrance allows the public space to flow into the limestone-clad building.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture