- Winners were selected through a dual process combining independent jury assessment and public voting
- The four winners were chosen from a shortlist of 20 finalists representing 14 nationalities, drawn from a global pool of more than 220 submissions from 53 nationalities
- The four winning teams will move into development and installation across Msheireb Downtown Doha
Doha, Qatar – August 12, 2026: Doha Design District, powered by Msheireb Properties, announced the four winning projects of its flagship Public Art Open Call initiative, selected from a shortlist of 20 proposals that had advanced through an extensive review process.
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.
The final selection follows careful deliberation, narrowing an initial pool of more than 220 proposals submitted by artists and designers from 53 nationalities down to a shortlist of 20 finalists representing 14 nationalities, and ultimately to the four winning designs.
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.
The winners were determined by a distinguished jury bringing together some of the region’s most respected voices in design, culture and urban development, with representation from Msheireb Properties, Qatar Museums and Qatar Creates (QC+), alongside a public vote that invited the community to help shape the future of the city’s art and landscaping.
Following the selection, the jury committee stated: “All of the shortlisted projects were creative and authentic, which made for a genuinely difficult selection process. The four winning designs were chosen against clearly defined criteria, and we congratulate the winners and look forward to seeing their projects realised. 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, said: “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 projects are:
Gravity Drops Along a Surface
Maraj — Architecture and Design Practice (Bahrain, based in Bahrain)
A sculptural public landscape that invites movement, interaction and play
Cast in precast concrete infused with date waste, the installation transforms a regional byproduct into a tactile material rooted in the Gulf’s material ecology. Its folded, sloping forms guide marbles across the surface, while inlaid metal tracks trace playful pathways that draw visitors into exploration and shared engagement.
Desert in Motion
Dana Anas — Architect (India, based in Qatar)
An organic public art installation inspired by the flowing forms of sand dunes and by Msheireb’s history as a wadi — a dry valley where rainwater once gathered, carving the land into soft, undulating patterns. Echoing these natural formations, the piece is at once sculptural and functional, inviting people to sit, gather and interact while celebrating Msheireb’s heritage as a place of community and connection.
Whispering Leaves
Guillaume Rousere & Maryam Faraj Al-Suwaidi — Artists (France & Qatar, based in Qatar)
An interactive listening sculpture that invites people to slow down, gather and reconnect with their surroundings. Inspired by the soft form of a leaf or petal, the work creates a quiet moment of discovery within the public realm, encouraging visitors to approach, listen and encounter the city through sound, presence and shared experience. More than a sculptural object, it becomes a place to meet, pause and belong.
Fanayeen
Boo Design Studio (Lebanon & Qatar, based in Qatar)
A large-scale installation that reinterprets the traditional Majlis as a tent built entirely from approximately 30,000 suspended Arabic coffee cups — symbols of hospitality transformed into structural and visual elements. Concealed steel cables and a discreet ground-level base create a stable, freestanding structure with no visible external supports, inviting visitors to gather, reflect and share stories. Blending tradition with modern design, it celebrates presence, dialogue and cultural heritage, reimagining how we connect in today’s fast-paced world.
Evaluation Criteria
Each proposal, whether from an emerging talent or an established name, was assessed against a consistent set of criteria: the strength and originality of the concept; the clarity of its artistic vision; how meaningfully it engages with its site and with Doha’s broader cultural context; its capacity to animate public space and spark genuine audience interaction; the sustainability of its materials and production methods; the technical soundness of its installation approach; and the realism of its proposed timeline.
By weaving public art into the everyday life of the district, Doha Design District continues to make the case that great design need not live in galleries alone — it can live on the street corner, in the plaza, along the shaded walkway. Through initiatives such as the Public Art Open Call, DDD champions creative practitioners, nurtures cross-disciplinary exchange, and deepens the cultural roots of one of the Gulf’s most ambitious urban destinations.