qatar unveils first visual of lina ghotmeh's permanent national pavilion at giardini of la biennale di venezia

permanent qatar pavilion unveiled

Lina Ghotmeh’s vision for the permanent national pavilion of Qatar at the Giardini of Venice has been unveiled, marking an important moment for the nation’s cultural presence at La Biennale di Venezia. The new pavilion will be only the third to join this historic landscape in more than half a century. As images of the design were revealed, Qatar’s leadership, together with Ghotmeh, described the pavilion as a space of hospitality, one that will serve as both a cultural platform and a symbol of dialogue between Qatar and the world. See designboom’s previous coverage here.

Lina Ghotmeh says: ‘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, 2025

lina ghotmeh offers a platform for diverse arab voices

Architect Lina Ghotmeh emphasizes that Qatar’s pavilion in Venice will introduce a new language to the Giardini, one that responds to the Middle Eastern traditions of gathering and hospitality. In conversation with architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff, she noted how the pavilion’s presence will expand the Biennale’s cultural geography, offering a platform for diverse Arab voices.

The proposal reflects Qatar’s ambition to contribute a lasting voice to the Biennale’s architectural landscape in Venice. Presented during a series of celebrations hosted by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the design was described as a place of encounter, shaped by the principles of openness and welcome. Ghotmeh spoke of the pavilion as a home for exchange, a site where visitors are invited to explore art, architecture, and collective memory through the lens of Qatar’s cultural identity.

Opening of Qatar’s Participation in the 19th International Architectural Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, courtesy Qatar Museums

a new chapter for venice’s architectural narrative

Lina Ghotmeh’s unveiling of Qatar’s pavilion coincided with the opening of ‘Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa,’ the nation’s official presentation for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition. While the temporary exhibition at Palazzo Franchetti welcomed visitors with projects addressing community and care, the announcement of the permanent pavilion carried a deeper message about Qatar’s long-term commitment to cultural diplomacy. As the pavilion takes shape in the Giardini, Qatar and Lina Ghotmeh together begin writing a new chapter in the architectural narrative of Venice.

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

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 © Simone Padovani/Getty Images for Qatar Museums