{"id":775598,"date":"2025-02-21T13:20:45","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T13:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=775598"},"modified":"2025-02-24T10:02:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T10:02:23","slug":"british-museum-lina-ghotmeh-winstition-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/british-museum-lina-ghotmeh-winstition-2","title":{"rendered":"Rising star Lina Ghotmeh pips big names to win British Museum contest"},"content":{"rendered":"

A team led by the rising star won the major commission \u2013 known as the Western Range renewal project \u2013 after seeing off an impressive shortlist of big names. However, it is understood a contract award standstill period, which allows time for the competitors to lodge a challenge, remains in place.<\/p>\n

The finalists, announced in August<\/a>, included architect-led multidisciplinary bids headed by 6a architects, David Chipperfield Architects,<\/a> OMA, and a collaboration between Eric Parry Architects and Jamie Fobert Architects.<\/p>\n

Ghotmeh is best known for her 2020 Stone Garden<\/a> housing tower in Beirut, the Herm\u00e8s leather workshop in Normandy, France, which opened in 2023 and the Serpentine Pavilion, in London<\/a> of the same year. The British Museum commission will be her practice\u2019s first major job in the UK.<\/p>\n

An explanation of the team\u2019s vision posted on competition organiser Colander\u2019s website<\/a> claims the proposals would \u2018transform the Western Range into a living museum \u2013 a place of dialogue and reinvention\u2019 creating an \u2018archaeology of the future, where historic narratives intertwine with contemporary perspectives\u2019.<\/p>\n

The \u2018bold transformation\u2019, it continues, would renew the British Museum as a \u2018global meeting point of shared history, where poetics and care foster peace and understanding\u2019.<\/p>\n

Late last year models and images were submitted as part of a day-long charrette to \u2018test the capabilities\u2019 of each architecture team shortlisted for the overhaul of the western area of the Grade I-listed museum. Those models, showing the teams\u2019 initial approaches, went on display in the Round Reading Room in December 2024.<\/p>\n

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Lina Ghotmeh<\/p>\n\t

Source:Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

The competition was structured to allow the museum to select a team, rather than a fixed outcome in the form of a design proposal, and deliberate limitations were put in place so the finalists did not arrive at a complete plan for the project.<\/p>\n

Instead, they were asked to demonstrate their ability to \u2018lead a collaborative process that responds to the complex needs of multiple stakeholders, both within the museum and from external groups\u2019.<\/p>\n

The British Museum had earlier refused to verify Ghotmeh\u2019s contest victory. A spokesperson told the AJ: \u2018The active phase of the competition has now concluded, and each team has hosted the panel of judges for a final presentation at its studio.<\/p>\n

\u2018At present, no contract has been awarded. The British Museum expects to award a contract and announce the winning team in the coming weeks.\u2019<\/p>\n

But Ghotmeh took to Instagram this morning herself to confirm the news.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Lina Ghotmeh (@linaghotmeh)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n