It isn’t often that a building stuns – literally. However, this is the case with the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Traditional Islamic architecture meets the twenty first century to spectacular effect.

Nothing is done by halves here. Even the palm lines entrance (and entrancing is perhaps the right word) fills the visitor with expectation. Sublimely designed by IM Pei, the museum opened its doors to the public less than two years ago.

The building is, as you might expect, heavily influenced by ancient Islamic architecture but its design is unique and there is simply no other building like it on earth. Certainly as a museum of this king it was the first in the Persian Gulf and its sheer size alone, over forty five thousand square meters, is a testament to the ambition of its designers.

Sabhia al Khemir became the founding director of the museum in 2006. A globally renowned Tunisian writer she is also expert in Islamic art and is best known for her work in bridging cultural divides and creating dialogue between the great civilisations of the world. Certainly the Museum of Islamic Art (or QIA as it is known) is an incredible talking point.

The idea that contemporary Islamic culture is inward looking was contradicted from the word go by the invitation to IM Pei to be the chief architect of the project. The Chinese born American considered by many to be a master in his field was gently coaxed out of retirement to design the building. Most agree he has done a stupendous job. You may know him for, among many other projects, the glass pyramid outside the Louvre.