I M Pei: Life Is Architecture, presented in collaboration with M+ Hong Kong, at Al Riwaq, is the first full-scale retrospective of Pei’s seven-decade career.
I M Pei and the Making of the Museum of Islamic Art: From Square to Octagon and Octagon to Circle, jointly organised by the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and the future Art Mill Museum (AMM), is an in-depth exploration of his design for one of Doha’s most celebrated landmarks. The exhibitions, opening to the public on October 30, will offer an unprecedented dual perspective on the internationally acclaimed architect.
Curated and organised by M+ in 2024, the travelling exhibition I M Pei: Life Is Architecture brings together more than 400 objects, including original drawings, architectural models, photographs, films, and archival documentation from institutional and private holdings that reveal Pei’s unparalleled vision. His projects had an extraordinarily global reach, from the National Gallery of Art’s East Building in Washington, DC, to the modernisation of the Grand Louvre in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and MIA in Doha.
Each of these works features prominently in the exhibition. Tracing Pei’s life and work against the complex geopolitical realities and cultural legacies of the 20th and 21st centuries, I M Pei: Life Is Architecture offers the fullest presentation of his work ever assembled.
In a press statement, Sheikha Reem al-Thani, acting deputy CEO of Exhibitions, Public Art, and Rubayia Qatar at QM, said: “By presenting Pei’s work within our evolving cultural landscape, QM reaffirms its commitment to advancing global dialogue in art and architecture.
“Additionally, we are excited to announce a series of architecture workshops with esteemed architects and universities. These workshops will provide unique educational opportunities, fostering a deeper understanding of architecture's transformative power and its capacity to shape both space and society.”
I M Pei and the Making of the Museum of Islamic Art focuses on the architect’s journey to define “the essence of Islamic architecture” and his creative process for developing the Museum, commissioned in 1999 by the Father Amir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
Through original sketches and models, photographs, archival documents, early acquisitions from MIA’s collection, and a newly commissioned film, the exhibition traces the conception and realisation of MIA.
MIA director Shaika Nasser al-Nassr said: “The culminating masterpiece that I M Pei created for our museum has been a source of wonder and inspiration for everyone who has stepped into its breathtaking spaces and is now a symbol of Doha recognised around the globe”.
The two exhibitions, on view through February 14, 2026, will be accompanied by robust public programming that includes talks by architects and scholars, curator-led tours, workshops, and activities for families and school groups.
I M Pei: Life Is Architecture is organised into six thematic sections, exploring how Pei worked in various social, cultural, and biographical contexts.
M+ museum director Suhanya Raffel said: “I M Pei: Life Is Architecture reflects seven years of rigorous research and dedication, culminating in the first full-scale retrospective of Pei’s visionary legacy.
I M Pei and the Making of the Museum of Islamic Art takes visitors behind the scenes of one of the 21st century’s most celebrated architectural achievements. This exhibition is curated by Aurélien Lemonier, Art Mill Museum curator of Architecture, Design and Gardens and Zahra Khan, Art Mill Museum curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, in collaboration with MIA deputy director of Curatorial Affairs, Dr Mounia Chekhab Abudaya.
The exhibition traces the creative journey Pei took as he sought to distil the “essence of Islamic architecture” into the design of MIA, an institution that signalled Qatar’s arrival on the global cultural stage when it opened in 2008.