Doha Design District announced the four winning projects of its flagship Public Art Open Call initiative, selected from an initial pool of more than 220 proposals submitted by artists and designers from 53 nationalities, then a shortlist of 20 finalists representing 14 nationalities.
The winning designs were determined through a two-stage evaluation combining assessment by an independent jury with an open public vote, ensuring that both expert judgement and community sentiment shaped the final outcome.
Following the selection, the jury committee stated: “Our message to every artist who took part is simple: keep your passion alive and continue your creative journey, because it is through voices like yours that the design of our public spaces is shaped. We thank all applicants for their effort, time and dedication.”
Dana Kazic, Director of Doha Design District, added: “We have been overwhelmed by the response and by the creativity of the projects submitted. The Public Art Open Call is a clear reflection of Doha Design District’s role in shaping the public realm, and of its power to invite the public to take part in designing their own cities and neighbourhoods. This is part of our broader mission to elevate design and to give creators the opportunity to emerge and express their passion”.
The four winning teams will now move into development, working to realise their installations across Msheireb Downtown Doha and transforming the district, piece by piece, into an open-air stage for contemporary artistic expression.
And the four winning projects are:
Gravity Drops Along a Surface, by Maraj, Architecture and Design Practice (Bahrain). A sculptural public landscape cast in precast concrete infused with date waste, its folded, sloping forms guiding marbles along inlaid metal tracks to invite movement, play and shared discovery.
Desert in Motion, by Dana Anas, Architect (India, based in Qatar). An organic installation inspired by the flowing forms of sand dunes and by Msheireb’s history as a wadi, sculptural and functional in equal measure, offering a place to sit, gather and connect.
Whispering Leaves, by Guillaume Rousere and Maryam Faraj Al-Suwaidi, Artists (France and Qatar). An interactive listening sculpture shaped by the soft form of a leaf or petal, creating a quiet moment of discovery that invites visitors to slow down, listen and reconnect with their surroundings.
Fanayeen, by Boo Design Studio (Lebanon and Qatar). A large-scale reinterpretation of the traditional Majlis as a freestanding tent formed from around 30,000 suspended Arabic coffee cups, turning a symbol of hospitality into a space for gathering, reflection and shared stories.
