MEDITE ECOLOGIQUE IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE ANSWER FOR NEW MUSEUM IN QATAR
23rd July 2008 - Medite Ecologique
The new Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar is a truly inspirational project. The exceptional quality of the building - designed by world-renowned Sino-American architect IM Pei -location and positioning of the new Museum will make it a catalyst for the development of Doha as a cultural and educational centre of excellence in the Middle East when it opens in November this year.
The Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA) provides a stunning environment in which to showcase its extensive selection of treasures from across the Islamic world. The Museum has nearly 5,000sq m of exhibition space available, in addition to generous education, conservation and presentation areas. This five floor building of 45,000sq m is the world's largest Islamic museum and includes, as well as the museum, a library, restaurant and shop, and forms the centrepiece of Qatar's strategy to become a tourist destination of choice.
Pei says a major challenge for the museum was the selection of materials, due to both its function and its proximity to the sea. “For a museum, we needed a solid structure, without windows, which can protect the precious objects inside...one had to be very careful in the selection of materials.”
The museum's interiors and the display were handled by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who specialises in museums, and the fit-outs were by Mivan Depa. Launched in 2005, Mivan Depa is a joint venture between Depa, the Middle East's premier hotel interiors contracting company, and Mivan Ltd of Northern Ireland, a specialist theming contractor for over 15 years. The new company was created to offer specialised themed interiors for development and entertainment projects in the Middle East region, and overcame significant cultural, environmental and construction challenges to deliver the $60 million interior fit-out of the museum. Paul Austin, general manager for Mivan Depa says “The MIA is a complex and exquisite work of art in itself and was therefore a formidable challenge for us.” Mivan's vast experience and knowledge in providing finishes and setworks for museums around the world came into its own for this project, and Medite Ecologique MDF was an essential part of the interior specification.
Mivan and Medite have a longstanding relationship which extended into the Middle East with Mivan Depa. The interior display panels and cases needed a product which provided a stable and non-invasive atmosphere for the wall systems and integral display units containing the precious exhibits of the museum. Mivan Depa worked with Medite on these special considerations, and 5 container loads of Medite Ecologique were supplied – over 4500 sheets of 1220 x 2440mm panels - with a formaldehyde free Nextel coating, as a part of the final specification requirement. Geoff Rhodes, marketing & business development director for Coillte Panel Products, of which Medite is one division, says, “We have long experience working on prestigious construction projects in both the Middle East and elsewhere, and this is another example where a specific Medite technical MDF product has been able to satisfy and deliver against a specific architectural requirement”.
Medite Ecologique is an FSC certified MDF panel with zero-added formaldehyde which was developed specifically for use in environmentally sensitive interior applications where formaldehyde emissions need to be kept to the minimum. This includes display cabinets and cases, furniture, fixtures and mouldings designed for environmentally sensitive areas such as museums, laboratories, art galleries, nursing homes, hospitals, nurseries and schools.
The Amsterdam Exhibition in De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, the Nationa l Waterfront Museum in Wales and Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris are all projects which have required Medite Ecologique's unique properties.
