2023 Serpentine Pavilion designer was 鈥渦nanimous favourite鈥� among shortlist of big names including David Chipperfield and Eric Parry
Lina Ghotmeh Architecture has been announced as the winner of an international competition to redesign a third of the British Museum鈥檚 galleries, including the space which houses the Elgin Marbles.
Practice founder Lina Ghotmeh, the designer of the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, triumphed over a host of big names to win the prestigious commission, including David Chipperfield Architects and Eric Parry.
The Lebanese born and Paris-based architect, a rising star in the global architectural circles, emerged as the 鈥渦nanimous favourite鈥� in the second stage of the competition, the museum said.
She is said to have impressed judges with her 鈥渄eep understanding and sensitivity鈥� towards the Bloomsbury museum鈥檚 buildings and the 鈥渃omplexity鈥� of how diverse visitor groups interact with its collections.
Ghotmeh鈥檚 vision is also said to have resonated with the judging panel because of her 鈥渁rcheological鈥� approach to architectural design.
She is said to have likened each new project to an archaeological dig, looking at a building鈥檚 past to support the reimagination and 鈥榮tory鈥� of its future, with sustainability at its heart and a close observance to the use of natural materials.
The panel felt this sentiment resonated with the Museum鈥檚 collection which spans two million years of human history.
The competition win follows a string of high profile projects designed by Ghotmeh, who was nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe Award in 2017, including the recently completed Herm猫s Leather Workshop in Normandy and the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.
British Museum chairman George Osborne, the former chancellor under David Cameron who became chair of the museum in 2021, said: 鈥淲e set out to find the best and I believe we鈥檝e found her.鈥�
鈥淚n Lina Ghotmeh we have an architect who combines a deep sensitivity to the history of our great collection while being a voice for the future,鈥� he added.
鈥淲e had many outstanding entries 鈥� and I thank the other practices for all their hard work 鈥� but I can say as chair of the judging panel, she was the standout winner.鈥�
Osborne said Ghotmeh鈥檚 design ideas had 鈥渆xcited and enthused鈥� the trustees, adding that he believes they will produce a similar effect on visitors as the museum鈥檚 original buildings did when they were first opened in the early 19th century.
The museum鈥檚 director Nicholas Cullinan described Ghotmeh as an 鈥渁rchitect of extraordinary grace and gravitas鈥�.
鈥淗er team鈥檚 proposals demonstrated an exceptional and materially sensitive architectural vision for the British Museum, and their 鈥榓rchaeological鈥� approach clearly understood the ambition for this project to be as much an intellectual transformation as an architectural one,鈥� he said.
Ghotmeh said: 鈥淢y team and I are thrilled to embark on this journey for the renovation of the Western Range of the British Museum. This competition has been an exciting process shaped by dialogue and multiple voices. I am looking forward to continuing this rich and collaborative process as we work towards transforming this section of the museum into an extraordinary space.鈥�
Four other teams were shortlisted in the second stage of the competition, led by practices Eric Parry and Jamie Fobert Architects, David Chipperfield Architects, 6a Architects and OMA.
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