The Palestinian Museum

The Palestinian Museum is a museum in Birzeit, in the West Bank, State of Palestine, that was inaugurated on 18 May 2016.[1] It is a flagship project of the Welfare Association, a non-profit organization for developing humanitarian projects in Palestine. Representing the history and aspirations of the Palestinian people, the museum aims to discuss the past, present, and future of Palestine.[2]

The Palestinian Museum, in Birzeit, West Bank, State of Palestine
The Palestinian Museum Logo

The museum building is located 25 km north of Jerusalem.[1] The inaugural exhibition, "Jerusalem Lives", was opened on 26 August 2017.[3]

On 29 August 2019, the museum received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.[4]

Museum without borders

Representing the history and aspirations of the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Museum aims to discuss the past, present, and future of Palestine.[5] The museum's research programs develop knowledge that is relevant inside and outside Palestine.[5] Through its digital platforms and international partners, the museum aims to connect with about 10 million Palestinians[5] scattered around the world, and with all those interested in Palestine.[6]

The museum aims to transcend political and geographical borders, and address the mobility issues due to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Through local, regional and international partnerships and affiliate centers, the museum seeks to connect Palestinians worldwide.[7] With an extensive network of partnerships within the region, it hopes to act as a hub for cultural activity there.[8]

The idea of developing a museum was initiated in 1997 by the London-based Welfare Association to commemorate the Nakba, and later developed to a broader viewpoint to documenting[9] Palestinian history, society, art and culture from the beginning of the 19th century.

"It is not necessarily to start or stop at the Nakba, but nevertheless to look at Palestinians before that and after that … take that history and that memory as a means to reflect on what's happening today and as a way to think through ideas, concepts and propositions for the future." Jack Persekian, former director of the Palestinian Museum.

The museum aims to be an innovative venue for creating and communicating research, knowledge and new thinking about showcasing Palestinian society, art, history and culture.[10] In May 2015 the museum officially joined the International Council of Museums.

In May 2016, it was announced that Mahmoud Hawari would succeed Jack Persekian as director, who was ousted by the board after three and a half years.[1][11] Writer and academic Dr. Adila Laïdi-Hanieh was appointed as Director General in September 2018.[12] She developed the first five years programs strategy of the museum, and established two new departments focusing on curating, and on research and knowledge programming.[13] She led the museum's COVID-19 lockdown programming in 2020, that enabled it to increase and continue providing its activities online without interruption, while diversifying its audiences.[14]

Architecture

The architectural firm responsible for the building is Heneghan Peng, who designed the Grand Egyptian Museum. The building aims to bring together a mix of exhibition spaces, research, and education programmes. Through its digital platforms and international partners, the museum seeks to connect with about 10 million Palestinians[5] scattered around the world, and with all those interested in Palestine.[15]

The Palestinian Museum is notable as a winner of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. When it was shortlisted for the award earlier in the year,[2] the museum was noted for marrying an aesthetically pleasing design with environmental responsibility.[16]

Located atop a terraced hill, the museum building overlooks the Mediterranean.[17] With a design inspired by the surrounding rural landscape, the building integrates seamlessly into its environment.[18] The building's facade is made of local limestone[18] and its cascading gardens represent the history of Palestinian vegetation and agriculture.[16]

Builders laid terraces by hand, incorporating artisanal knowledge and skill.[19] Outdoor garden spaces extend interior spaces to facilitate outdoor exhibitions and blend the building with its environment.[19] The building's interior contains galleries, educational and research facilities, and administrative offices.[16]

The museum's sustainable construction earned it LEED Gold certification.[17] The building design and operations take sustainability into account.[19] To reach LEED standards, the builders needed to implement systems control technologies that were new to the area's building industry.[19]

The museum building is built on nearly ten acres of land donated by Birzeit University near Ramallah, and the cost of the building is estimated at US$24 to $30 million.[20][1] Funds were contributed by "over 30 private Palestinian families and institutions", including the A. M. Qattan Foundation, the Bank of Palestine (privately owned), and the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development.[20]

The museum was inaugurated by Mahmoud Abbas on 18 May 2016, but it was "plagued by a series of cost overruns and delays", with some blaming Israel Customs authorities for those delays.[21]

See also

References
  1. Glanz, James; Nazzal, Rami (16 May 2016). "Palestinian Museum Prepares to Open, Minus Exhibitions". New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  2. "Palestinian Museum – Aga Khan Development Network". www.akdn.org. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. Dyke, Joe (26 August 2017). "Jerusalem the focus of first Palestinian Museum show". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  4. "The Winners of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture". Architectural Record. New York City. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  5. "Palestinian Museum : Aga Khan Development Network". www.akdn.org. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  6. Hecht, Esther. "Palestinian Museum Will Link the Past and the Present". Archrecord.construction.com. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  7. Cascone, Sarah (29 July 2014). "Bloodshed Can't Derail Construction of Palestinian Museum". News.artnet.com. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  8. Hatuqa, Dalia (June 2013). "The Palestinian Museum will present a culture without borders". Thenational.ae. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  9. Rana Anani (21 April 2013). "Palestinian Museum to Showcase People's History, Culture – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  10. Meador, Daryl (30 September 2014). "Museum without borders" to open in Palestine". Electronicintifada.net. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  11. "Mahmoud Hawari appointed new director of long-awaited Palestinian Museum". Theartnewspaper.com. 5 May 2016. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  12. "Dr. Adila Laïdi-Hanieh – Director General of the Palestinian Museum". PM homepage. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  13. "New directions for the Palestinian Museum: Interview with director Dr Adila Laïdi Hanieh". Middle East Monitor. London, UK. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  14. Vittoria Volgare Detaille (8 August 2020). "Inside the Palestinian Museum". Sekka Magazine. Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  15. Hecht, Esther. "Palestinian Museum Will Link the Past and the Present". Archrecord.construction.com. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  16. "The Palestinian Museum on 2019 Shortlist for Aga Khan Award for Architecture". PM homepage. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  17. "Three UAE Projects on 2019 shortlist for Aga Khan Award for Architecture". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  18. "Shortlist for the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture announced". Architectural Digest Middle East. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  19. "Palestinian Museum | Aga Khan Development Network". www.akdn.org. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  20. "Jack Persekian steps down". The Economist. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  21. "A museum without exhibits". The Economist. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
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