A reimagined Majlis where tradition and storytelling met the digital age.

#MAJLIS reimagined the traditional Arab gathering space as a contemporary environment for storytelling, dialogue and cultural exchange. More than an architectural installation, it became a living platform where designers, artists and craftspeople shared knowledge across disciplines, weaving personal experiences and cultural narratives into collective memory.

In collaboration with Maryam Al-Homaid, an interdisciplinary artist and Assistant Professor at VCUArts Qatar, the structure took the form of a hashtag (#), a symbol of digital connectivity and global conversation. This design choice bridged the past and present, recalling the spoken exchanges of traditional majlis gatherings while acknowledging how communication had expanded into instantaneous worldwide networks. Crafted from glass and metal, the installation was etched with Arabic script inspired by the phrase Asfarat wa Anwarat, meaning “arrived with radiance and light.” As sunlight or artificial illumination interacted with the surface, the calligraphy came alive in shifting shadows, filling the space with an atmosphere of warmth, movement and invitation.

Whilst combining reverence for tradition with the forms and language of contemporary design, #MAJLIS embodied connection in the modern age, where words became architecture and storytelling bridged past and present.

About Boo Design Studio & Maryam Al-Homaid:

Boo Design Studio is a Doha-based practice led by Amanda and Jo Booabbood. Founded in 2021, the studio works across disciplines to explore how design can connect cultural heritage with contemporary form.

Maryam Al-Homaid is a multidisciplinary artist and academic based in Qatar. Her work explores how digital media and traditional craft intersect within the context of cultural memory and rapid change.