It's never an easy road to becoming an architect, let alone one who takes the world by storm with a landmark project that captures the narrative of a foreign land. Designer Koichi Takada, founder of Sydney-based architectural studio Koichi Takada Architects, has achieved that and more.
Located in the heart of Doha, the National Museum of Qatar has been the monument du jour since opening in March, not only for its striking silhouette inspired by the peninsula’s desert rose, but also its 430,000sqft of museum space - the interiors of which are the brainchild of Koichi Takada Architects.
Steeped in Qatari influences and evocative details, the space plays host to a cave-like souvenir shop and three world-class restaurants. We uncover Koichi's design philosophy and inspirations behind this milestone project:
Can you tell us about your background and architectural approach?
Even though I was educated in Sydney, my home country of Japan has been instrumental in my design journey. I was born and bred within Japan’s rich culture and reverence for nature; I particularly remember times spent in the playground. Over the years, Japan has undergone a lot of changes and I started to see nature disappear right in front of my eyes. I arrived in Sydney over a decade later and was struck with inspiration by the natural beauty and landscapes the city still retains.
What inspirations have you drawn on for the National Museum of Qatar?
When we first went to Doha almost 10 years ago, it was pretty much a desert-scape. Yet when I started experiencing its amazing cultural heritage and daily activities, it began to remind me of my own childhood.
Everything started to change when I visited the Dahl Al Misfir (Cave of Light) - the landscape became very dramatic. I particularly liked the contrasts between expressions of emotion. We drew a lot of inspiration from such cultural and natural heritage, and hope to encourage people to experience and sustain the heritage within today’s Qatar. It was such a privilege to turn this valuable experience into inspiration for this project.
Was there any other museums in the world that influenced you?
During the design process, I visited many cities in America and also London to understand the benchmark. From that, we realised that this museum designed by Jean Nouvel is very unique - it doesn’t look like a typical museum or even a building, but more like part of a natural landscape inspired by a desert rose. From this, we looked for inspiration that was out of the architectural framework.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art or the museum shops in MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) are quite successful examples when it comes to becoming a destination and a retail business for the museum. We asked ourselves: what is the next idea for a museum shop?
This was a refreshing way of working, especially nowadays with online shopping. Going to a shop - or what is called a souq in Qatar - you’re reminded of how culturally rich shopping used to be in the past. But in today’s world, it’s become quite monotonous. So we tried to recover that, whether through the use of proportions or natural materialities and turn that into a more experiential museum shop that’s unprecedented.
Has your exposure to this cultural heritage impacted your architectural vision?
Yes, we love the beautiful use of screenings and intricate patterns of Middle Eastern architecture, but especially the natural heritage of Qatar. They had this nomadic life; pearl diving was the common business model. This has been forgotten since Qatar became a modern state, so we tried to revive that in say the form of restaurants and architectural experience. We wanted to convey the narrative of what we learned, and what Qatar represented, to the next generation within the museum space.
You’ve got a few amazing projects completed and in progress. Do you have a favourite?
Well, my favourite project is my next project! (Laughs) With every project, we got through different sets of challenges and looked for unique and original inspirations. We aspire to keep improving it and questioning: how do we make it greener, more interactive and friendlier to the environment? I don’t have a favourite; each one makes me a better person, more flexible and true to myself. Never be satisfied!
What are your latest and dream projects?
We are going more global. We have ongoing projects in Los Angeles, Mexico City, Tokyo and Doha, and are going towards European cities; Milan, Paris and London. For London and New York, it’s kind of a homecoming as they were where I studied.
If you asked me what my dream city is to realise an architectural project is, I’d say Manhattan. They’re trying to be the greenest place in the world - they just came out with this initiative called the Green New Deal. This aligns with our vision to make Sydney the greenest city in the world. This has given us a lot of motivation.
What is your plan for the future?
We are under more pressure to consider the environmental outcome; designing in such a way that is more carbon neutral. It is a massive shift that I feel is coming and we want to be aligned with this, but still very much work in harmony with nature. I suppose this is a very Japanese sensibility that we want to demonstrate in the West.
What advice would you give young architects?
Very simple - travelling. Experiencing architecture from around the world is the best way to learn. I suppose, more importantly, to experience different cultures and share different languages. Seeing something different from where you are really does open up your mind. So travel well.
Photos via Koichi Takada Architects
