The Museum of Islamic Art

smytu1996November 25, 20104min570

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 foyer itself is a grandiose mix of marble, steel and glass.As with the exterior the hard edges of modernism combine sublimely with the curves of traditional Islamic design. Now, look up…

In fact, the whole place is a mathematician’s dream. The idea of the place is to give the visitor not only access to a wonderful and invaluable series of art works but to allow them to journey through time and across cultures, religions and eras.