Qatar Museums yesterday said an “unprecedented number of people from across the local community” have signed up to take advantage of ‘Marchitecture’ – a unique, nationwide cultural showcase comprising film screenings, events, public talks and exclusive tours of many of Qatar’s best-loved buildings and sites of historic and cultural significance.
So far, more than 630 people have signed up to participate in the various events and activities that have taken place since the start of the month.
The response makes it “one of the most successful activities” organised by the Culture Pass team to date, QM said in a statement. “Initiatives such as these help explain why the Culture Pass scheme continues to go from strength to strength, reaching more than 22,000 members from more than 25 nationalities since it was launched.”
Running until March 31, the ‘Marchitecture’ programme has been specially designed to give members of QM’s Culture Pass loyalty programme access to more than 70 arts and cultural experiences in a wide variety of locations.
Among the many highlights in the programme so far have included guided architectural tours of the Museum of Islamic Art, Msheireb Downtown Doha and Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, as well as a visit to the Legacy Pavilion at Al Bidda Tower to learn more about the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC)’s preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Under the guidance of QM chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the programme has been carefully planned over many months and highlights Qatar Museums’ ongoing commitment to enhancing and enriching the lives of all those who live in and visit the country, the statement notes.
Involving a large number of public and private sector organisations, the programme opens up many of Qatar’s best-loved buildings to the public – in a number of cases for the first time. Joining expert tours gives Culture Pass members an even deeper appreciation for several of the country’s most iconic buildings. Forthcoming tours and visits include those to Al Jazeera Media Institute along with the AJ English Channel premises, Qatar National Library, Msheireb Museum and Hamad International Airport.
In all, more than 15 private and public sector organisations have pledged their support for the programme, including Qatar Foundation, the SC, UDC and Msheireb Properties. 
‘Marchitecture’ will not only shine a spotlight on many of Qatar and Doha’s modern design masterpieces, but also celebrate Qatar’s rich heritage and history with a series of visits to Barzan Towers and Unesco World Heritage site Al Zubarah.
Delivering such a full and diverse programme in close collaboration with such partners clearly reflects Qatar Museums’ “ongoing commitment to providing an unparalleled range of cultural experiences to the country’s residents and visitors”, the statement adds.
Commenting on the success of the Marchitecture programme, QM head of Partnership Sheikha Nouf Mubarak Saif al-Thani said: “We’re delighted with the response to this latest initiative. It validates the approach that we’re taking as an organisation to continually provide engaging and memorable cultural experiences for the widest number of people in Qatar. We’re grateful to our partners for their involvement and efforts in delivering this meticulously curated programme. We’re very much looking forward to more fantastic cultural offerings ahead.”
Full details of the more than 70 film screenings, events, talks and tours at http://www.qm.org.qa/en/marchitecture

Related Story