Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar By Charles White (tumblr)

I.M. Pei, famed for the Louvre Pyramid, was commissioned to build Qatar’s Islamic Art Museum by the ruling al-Thani family. He rejected all suggested sites building, instead, a stand-alone island. The entire structure takes inspiration from across the Arab world, particularly mosques and clear-cut Islamic design features. Today it stands across the bay from modern skyscrapers and represents the traditional Arabic culture that Qatar has maintained despite rapid economic growth.