Bejing’s 798 Arts district, currently composed of warehouse spaces that have been repurposed into galleries and artist studios, will be developed into a high end arts and culture center, replete with skyscrapers. Designed by I.M. Pei’s son Li Chung Pei, the project is slated for 2013, and will include a “laser stage”, a “primitive art community”, luxury hotel and apartments, and facilities to “examine and trade art” as well as an aquatic theater. The project’s manager, Wang Jianjun, said that it “will be the biggest art center in China with the best service.” (more…)

The Louvre Museum will open the “most radical architectural intervention since the [I.M. Pei] pyramid in 1989″. After 10 years and $125 million, the new Islamic art galleries are set to open this Saturday. The gold undulating “flying carpet” or “luminous veil” roof is a 150-ton structure that was fabricated by using almost 9,000 steel tubes and designed by Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti. Donors to the project include private corporations, the government of France, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, and other Arab donors and nations. The new galleries will house Islamic art from the 7th to the 19th centuries.

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Museum of Islamic Art, via slickrockfilms

The 337,000 sq ft Museum of Islamic Art is designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei and is reportedly his last project at the age of 91. The “MIA” will open November 22 in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Surrounding the tiny country is Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, UAE commerce hub Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, where branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim will open in 2013. The Museum of Islamic Art is to preserve, study, and exhibit masterpieces spanning three continents and 13 centuries.

I.M. Pei designed Islamic Museum of Art opens; run by 25 year old Qatar royalty [Wmagazine]
In separate events, Qatar’s ruling family buys 72.8M Rothko, $52.7M Bacon, $19M Hirst [ArtObserved]
Art and Architecture in the Middle East [TimesUK]
Middle East museum a tasteful alternative to flashy development [SmartBrief]
Museum of Islamic Art: an international centre for dialogue [MuslimNews]

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