Future site of new Beirut museum, slated to open in 2020.
Photo by Roger Moukarzel.

The Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) is inviting architects of Lebanese origin to submit design proposals for a new modern and contemporary art museum in the heart of Beirut, slated to open in 2020.

According to a statement from APEAL—a nonprofit organization devoted to showcasing Lebanese artists—the competition, which launched October 1, is an “open call for an innovative and contemporary architectural design to house the museum.” The yet-to-be-named institution is envisioned as a multidisciplinary center of art and design dedicated showcasing modern and contemporary Lebanese culture.

The museum will be located on a site owned by the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut, but will retain its independence.

An independent jury of experts, chaired by Lord Peter Palumbo, chair of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, includes Zaha Hadid, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Julia Peyton-Jones, Rodolphe Khoury, Lamia Joreige, Fares Al Dahdah, and Richard Rodgers as well as representatives from APEAL and Université Saint Joseph.

The request for qualifications is open to all architects of Lebanese origin, whether based in Lebanon or abroad. A short list of up to ten architects will be selected from this list, with a closing date for stage one submission set for January 4, 2016.

In the second stage, shortlisted architects will be invited to participate in a comprehensive request for site design proposals.

In coming months, the museum will announce its official name, details about its collections and programming, and curatorial staff. A search is now underway for a founding director.