Doha, December 04 (QNA) - The State of Qatar today announced that it is dedicating a key site on Doha's waterfront to a new headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is known globally for its mediating role. Created to establish a more visible civic presence for the nation's diplomatic service and offer the public unprecedented access to the Ministry complex, the project will transform a prominent section of the city's iconic Corniche. Through an invited international competition, the commission to design the headquarters has been awarded to architect Frida Escobedo, founder and principal of the Mexico City and New York-based Frida Escobedo Studio. Rising beside the waters of Doha Bay, the 70,000 square meter (750,000 square foot) complex will be a combination of new construction and the adaptive reuse of a beloved historic structure at the site, set within an abundantly landscaped environment.

The initiation of the plan to create the new complex, aims at making this building the first major one to be constructed in decades in the coastal area that curves northward from Qatar's seat of government, the Amiri Diwan. To enhance the visibility of the Ministry's mission of mediation, conflict resolution, and cultural diplomacy, the 1985 General Post Office-known for its distinctive modernist 'pigeonholes'-will be assimilated into the complex. This major public building will be preserved and adapted in part as a space for public programming associated with the Ministry's role in cultural diplomacy.

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said," I am grateful to His Highness The Amir for his vision for the nation. MOFA's new headquarters that will be built, will represent an icon for the nation's diplomacy, and a source of pride for our people through reflecting Qatar's leading global role in diplomatic negotiations and fostering productive international dialogue and cooperation. Many thanks to H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani for her role in ensuring that this new home for the Ministry will support all our needs within an extraordinary architectural landmark."

HE Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani led the competition in her role as Chairperson of Qatar Blueprint, a comprehensive initiative to guide development across the nation in cooperation with public entities and the private sector. Creation of the new Ministry headquarters will include a public cultural component in the repurposed General Post Office. The project advances Qatar Blueprint's goals for urban and architectural planning, heritage preservation, adaptive reuse initiatives, and excellence in architectural design.

HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said, "I thank His Highness The Amir for elevating Qatar's global position and role. I also thank His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs for his efforts to elevate Qatar's role as a prominent and active player in international diplomacy. Sincere appreciation goes to Ashghal, Qatar's Public Works Authority, for its cooperation throughout the competition. I warmly congratulate Frida Escobedo, a major international talent, on her selection to design the new Ministry headquarters. Her design furthers our commitment to heritage preservation through sustainability and adaptive reuse while giving Qatar its next architectural masterpiece."

Frida Escobedo's human-scaled and courtyard-centered design envisions the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex in Doha as a rhythmic composition of volumes that build on one another, creating a threshold between Qatar's heritage and its global future.

Gently terracing northward, the new construction will preserve sightlines of the iconic General Post Office, incorporating elements into its façade as part of a vital adaptive reuse endeavor, while visually anchoring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the site's history.

The building's exterior will form an enveloping structure composed of vertical pillars that balance shade, privacy and transparency, and an inviting interior will feature a series of green patios designed for reflection, gathering, and art. This dialogue between architecture and landscape will extend into the General Post Office, whose ground floor will be transformed into an exhibition space that transitions into a covered garden. Rooted in the nation's ongoing investment in diplomacy, art, and architecture, the project reaffirms Qatar's role both as a cultural anchor for Doha and a symbolic gateway to the world.

Frida Escobedo Studio, with Buro Happold engineers and Studio Zewde landscape designers, was selected out of an initial group of 40 invited architectural teams and a shortlist of seven. In keeping with the mission of the Ministry, the selection process was fully international, with architects from every continent invited to participate. The competition was organised and managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Qatar Museums. (QNA)