Includes bibliographical references.

The contemporary architecture of Qatar includes some of the world's most innovative commissions built in the past twenty years. This is the most comprehensive publication on the stunning new architecture of Qatar, highlighting more than fifty projects. A small, oil- and gas-rich Gulf country, Qatar has undergone a major transformation since the early 1980s. Fifty years ago, Doha, the capital of Qatar, was a small town built on Gulf commerce, fishing, and pearl diving. That began to change with the rise of the oil economy and the urban growth that resulted. The process accelerated during the global economic boom, creating an entirely new skyline in the West Bay area of Doha, and has continued apace since. Qatar's landscape is dotted with structures designed by some of the most famous architects in the world, from the Doha Tower by Jean Nouvel, to the Museum of Islamic Art by I. M. Pei and Weill Cornell Medical College by Arata Isozaki.