Jean Nouvel is a French Architect who took inspiration for the designing of the National Museum of Qatar from a mineral formation called “desert rose”. The rocks tend to develop in arid sandy conditions.   A desert rose is formed from either gypsum or baryte crystals.  The petals are crystals, allowing the rock to appear to bloom.

The museum’s courtyard encircles Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani’s original palace.  Together, the museum and the restored palace will display a rich cultural history for generations in the future.  The eye-catching waterfront museum cost $434 million.