Stone-Ideas.com 
When discussing architecture in the Gulf emirate of Qatar, one usually thinks of the spectacular cultural buildings in the capital, Doha, such as the National Museum by Jean Nouvel or the Museum of Islamic Art by I.M. Pei. The city skyline with its striking skyscrapers along the coastline is also well-known. The predecessors of these buildings are less familiar—one of which is the former Ministry of the Interior, recently converted into a luxury hotel under the NED brand.
This project deserves closer examination. Firstly, it is an example of 1970s Brutalism and therefore an important historical document of its time. Secondly, modernization can also be seen as an example of the current zeitgeist, where planners no longer immediately resort to the wrecking ball, but instead seek the new potential of an old building.
Thirdly, the project also aims to avoid the climate-damaging CO2 emissions that would be associated with a new building.
The project was shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2025.
David Chipperfield Architects is known for its sensitive approach to older architecture, even if this makes its own work less immediately apparent.
The architects have softened the brutality of the old ministry building with two clever touches: an additional story provides a satisfying top end, and a long, narrow garden on one side creates a horizontal counterpoint to the otherwise dominant vertical lines. This imbalance enhances the building’s appeal.
The original structure was designed in the 1970s by the Lebanese architect William Sednaoui. The site is in close proximity to the Emir’s Palace (Amiri Diwan) and the Grand Mosque.
The core of the building remains the courtyard spanning all floors. It now has a roof, allowing for seven restaurants on the ground floor and a bar plus gallery above.
The 90 guest rooms are spread across three floors above. The additional top floor houses the wellness and fitness areas, as well as the Club Lounge, from which club members enjoy spectacular views of the Persian Gulf and the Doha skyline.
New interior design features premium materials such as white Calacatta and green Tinos marble. Travertine salvaged from the old facade was also reused.
The guest rooms were designed by Studio Soho House Design. Here, too, respect was paid to the original Brutalist style: the rooms feature the original concrete ceilings with their waffle patterns, the kind that have survived elsewhere only in parking garages. The hotel’s website describes this, presumably ironically, as “Bedrooms with a Nod to 1970s Glamour.“ On the brand’s webpage, guests are invited: “Sleep in one of our individually designed bedrooms, each inspired by the historic era in which the building was built.”
A new addition is the garden, stretching over 260 meters along one side of the building. It is covered with concrete ribs that provide shade and house numerous amenities. At its center is a water feature that provides cooling.
The architects express their appreciation for the original building as follows: “With its finely rhythmic façade and sculptural silhouette, the state building is considered an elegant demonstration of Brutalism in the Middle East.”
David Chipperfield Architects
https://davidchipperfield.com/
Photos: Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden
