Following the National Museum of Qatar‘s grand opening in march, Koichi Takada Architects presents final photography from inside the museum gift shop and children’s gift shop. The idea behind the interiors designed by the Australian studio intend to complement the exterior ‘desert rose’ concept envisioned by french architect Jean Nouvel. This collection of images showcases the ‘cave-like’ museum shop space that has been created taking direct inspiration from Qatar’s natural ‘cave of light’ (dahl al misfir), which can be found in the heart of the country.

The incredible timber walls which dominate the space have been realized using 40,000 pieces of CNC-cut wood. By utilising 3D modelling software to create the curved forms and after carefully assembling all the components together by hand in Doha, the result is an impressively cavernous spatial experience, evoking the organic forms of the cave of light. With this design, Koichi Takada intends to create a space that embraces the culture of Qatar, from being in the narrow lane of a souq, to the vast expanse of the desert landscape.

In essence, the design and craftsmanship aims to form a relationship between people and nature, forming an architectural expression that is contextually relevant to the surrounding environment. The interiors also pay homage to Jean Nouvel’s ‘desert rose’ inspired external architecture, and when put together, the building as a whole celebrates the natural Qatari heritage of the desertscape.