A triumph of the avant-garde.

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A new publication, Museum of Islamic Art Doha, Qatar, celebrates the opening of the stunning new museum of that name at the end of last year. With spectacular, almost austere architecture, the museum is a triumph of avant-garde design. It is justly served by this book, with its creative, at times abstract, photography, encapsulating architect Ieoh Ming Pei's search for the 'essence' of Islamic architecture. The photographs and design of the book hone in on details of the materials used for this extraordinary building, their textures and low-key colours. The interior by Jean-Michel Wilmotte uses bronze, brushed metal, sandstone or light-coloured limestone for the floors, and dark grey porphyry for those of the exhibition galleries. These are like dark boxes, foils for the dazzling displays of one of the world's finest collections of the artistic achievements of the Muslim Diaspora. The minimalist colour palette of the rest of the building embraces beiges, creams, browns and blacks.

The western coast of the Arabian Gulf is one of the fastest developing regions of the world and Doha, capital of Qatar, is at the forefront, with a rapidly evolving built environment. The new museum is part of the Gulf's ambitious championing of cultural institutions. As Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chair of the Qatar Museums Authority, writes in her preface to the book, "The vision of the Museum is to make Islamic art accessible both to individuals and to the populace; to those who are rooted in the culture and to those who are not; to present Islamic art to both the specialist and the layman, to the Qatari child and their 'western' counterpart ... The collection is comprised of pieces that stem from the seventh century, embracing the creativity of 13 centuries and continents across the globe." The book features a selection of these treasures, including metalwork, miniature paintings, Korans and books, calligraphy, carpets, ceramics, textiles and jewellery.

Given how the Arabian Gulf has been catapulted to modernity, at present Doha is less subject to architectural excess than neighbouring Dubai, though new high-rises constantly alter the skyline. As author Philip Jodidio points out, "Few, if any, architects working on these (regional) projects make any reference to the region or to Islam itself, despite the fact that they are building in the heart of Arabia." Commenting on the lack of Islamic architectural tradition of the new museums announced for Saadiyat Island off Abu Dhabi, designed by luminaries like Zaha Hadid, Doha's museum architect, Pei says, "They are trying to do something novel. I think that what they are interested in is the 'Shock of the New' ... I do not go along with that, because I am not competent to do it that way."

Born in China in 1917, Pei's aim is to bring forth the essence of a culture. His family has lived in Suzhou for 600 years. Nevertheless, aged 18 he came to America to study architecture and had a practice there for many decades. So by no means is he locked in tradition, nor does he dismiss modernism. "You have to be modern as well," he said. "You cannot just go back to yesterday. There is the past, but also everything that has happened since. What is the best that you can find?" From the US, in 1988 he moved to the older societies of Europe and Asia, where history is a deeper current defining identity.

Pei is also deeply sensitive to the environment in which he builds--in Doha's case, the desert. A Pritzker Prize Jury Citation declared, "Ieoh Ming Pei has given this century some of its most beautiful interior spaces and exterior forms. Yet the significance of his work goes far beyond that. His concern has always been the surroundings in which his buildings rise."

Few architects have sought so actively to understand the cultures where they have built--in Pei's case, the heart of New York, Washington DC, the Louvre in Paris, the Miho Museum in Japan, and now on reclaimed land he chose at the tip of the Corniche in Doha, visible across the bay from much of the city. "This was one of the most difficult jobs I ever undertook," Pei says. "It seemed to me that I had to grasp the essence of Islamic architecture ... where sunlight brings to life powerful volumes and geometry plays a central role."

Exploring several different gems of Islamic architecture, Pei finally found the answer to his search in Cairo. "I remained faithful to the inspiration I had found in the mosque of Ibn Tulun, derived from its

austerity and simplicity. It was this essence that I attempted to bring forth in the desert sun of Doha. It is the light of the desert that transforms the architecture into a play of light and shadow."

The austerity of the exterior of the museum contrasts with the rich use of decorative patterns inside, Pei commenting, "My feeling [is] that Islamic architecture often comes to life in an explosion of decorative elements." His creation was inspired by the geometric interlaces of Islamic tradition, particularly the metalwork, but is still visibly modern. On entering, one is immediately confronted with a stunning, sculptural double Grand Stair. The atrium space was designed by Pei, while the exhibition galleries, their display cases and light fixtures, shop, offices and minimalist furniture were the creation of Jean-Michel Wilmotte, working within Pei's forms, a collaboration successfully completed in several other buildings. Pei recommended Wilmotte, and praised his display work for the artefacts saying, "I am more than satisfied. I think it is incredible." Wilmotte has used a subtle range of dark, high-quality materials for his sophisticated, low-key galleries, that allow the dramatically lit artefacts to emerge from the dark in a theatrical way.

In essence, the book justly celebrates this remarkable building that has captured the very spirit of Islamic architecture, as well as its desert location, with a thoroughly modern interpretation.

Published by Prestel, $55, ISBN-978-3-7913-3933-7