Qatar Museums has opened the doors to its iconic 3-2-1 Olympic and Sports Museum in capital Doha, offering the public an unforgettable interactive journey through the history and legacy of sports around the globe and the Olympic Games.
One of the world’s largest and most comprehensive sports museums spanning over 19,000 sq m, the 3-2-1 has been designed by Spanish architect Joan Sibina and is built onto Khalifa International Stadium. Originally constructed in 1976, the stadium will be hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The museum comprises two buildings: a main structure that follows the arc of the stadium, and an attached round access building inspired by the Olympic rings. Khalifa International Stadium is part of Aspire Zone, also known as Doha Sports City, a 250-hectare sporting complex located in Baaya district of Doha that also includes the Aspire Academy for Qatar’s youth, Hamad Aquatic Centre, Aspire Tower and Doha’s largest park, Aspire Park.
A member of the Olympic Museums Network (OMN), 3-2-1 will be one of the world’s most innovative and technologically advanced museums dedicated to sports. Through its participatory spaces and programming, 3-2-1 aims to inspire and engage its community and encourage the public to take part in sports and physical activity, said the statement from Qatar Museums.
The Museum’s unique exhibits and remarkable collection present the role of sports as one of the most significant cultural developments, the history and contemporary significance of the Olympic Games, the stories of sporting heroes around the world, and the inspiring story of the development of sports in Qatar, and explore the massive impact of mega events hosted by the Gulf nation in recent decades.
The interactive experiences in 3-2-1’s “Activation Zone” will promote sports across Qatar, inspire future talent, and encourage the adoption of healthy and active lifestyles for all. 3-2-1 comprises seven gallery spaces housing objects from around the globe, from the origins of sports to the present day, said the statement.
“We are opening the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum at an incredible moment in the history of sports within our own nation as Qatar prepares to welcome more than a million tourists for the FIFA World Cup,” stated Sheikha Al Mayasa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums at the opening cermony held under the patronage of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad binSheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
“The opening of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum alongside the FIFA congress is a symbol of the importance of sports in Qatar National Vision 2030. The museum belongs to the Olympic Museums Network, and is a legacy project of the Doha Asian Games 2006,” she stated.
“The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, comes after Qatar’s outstanding performance at the Tokyo Olympics, and just before we host the World Cup in November,” observed Sheikha Al Mayasa.
“Culture and sports are two sides of the same coin, and there is no better time to celebrate our nations investments in both culture and sports. Two pillars that also support Qatar’s investments in Education and Health,” she added.
The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) Director and OMN Chair Angelita Teo said having the brand new 3-2-1 museum join the Olympic Movement in promoting the Olympic Games and Olympic Values is a great source of excitement.
3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum President Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani said: “We will open the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum at an incredible moment in the history of sports within our own nation as Qatar prepares to welcome more than a million tourists for the FIFA World Cup. These visitors may speak a myriad of languages but understand sports to be a universal dialect that promotes camaraderie among people and nations.”
“This sentiment is evident throughout the Museum, which brings together sports, figures, and iconic moments from all different areas of the world. We are especially excited to share with our visitors the history of traditional sports in our region and the development of Qatar as a destination for international sporting events,” he added.
The galleries–organised under the direction of Kevin Moore, PhD, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs–include:
•World of Emotion – The first gallery space visitors will encounter, serves as the Museum’s reception area and lobby. It provides an overview of the Museum’s themes and the central role of sports in Qatar.
•A Global History of Sport – It is a journey through the history of sports across the globe from ancient to modern times. The gallery includes nearly 100 objects and reproductions, ranging from the 8th century BCE to the early 20th century, accompanied by graphics, audio-visual and interactive digital elements. The gallery is organised into geographic and thematic sections, focusing on different historical periods in Europe, Asia and Oceania, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.
•Olympics – It takes visitors from the ancient Olympic Games through to the birth of the modern Olympics and their growth and significance today. The gallery features a display of every torch from the Summer and Winter Olympic Games from 1936 onwards. Within the gallery’s Olympic Theatre is an immersive video that tells the story of the birth of the modern Olympics and introduces the geopolitical, social, and technological factors that enabled individuals, most notably Pierre de Coubertin, to revive the Olympic Games.
•The Hall of Athletes – It is a celebration of sporting heroes from around the world. Here visitors can meet heroes, old and new, and be inspired and amazed by their journeys and achievements. Across three floors, this gallery will profile 90 athletes from across the world and the 20th and 21st centuries, representing a wide range of international sports. Included will be a series of eye-catching displays, each focusing on a different athlete and will include informative text as well as intriguing or awe-inspiring objects (both historic and replicas).
•Qatar – Hosting Nation – It explores how the mega sports events hosted by Qatar in recent decades have become a matter of global fascination and national pride . The gallery invites visitors to explore Qatar’s outstanding reputation as a host for international sporting events starting with the Asian Games Doha 2006 and to revisit the most memorable moments of world-class events that the nation has held, including those at Khalifa Stadium since its opening in 1976.
•Qatar Sports – It presents the inspiring story of the development of sports in Qatar, from traditional games through to the arrival of international sport and the development of international competitions. The gallery explores how sports has been and continues to be essential to the development of Qatar, looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The gallery also brings to life Qatar’s long-established sports activities such as falconry, pearl diving and camel racing, exploring how these sports are reflected in Qatar’s oral traditions and illustrating how they are connected to Qatar’s heritage and landscape.
•The Activation Zone – It promotes physical activity across Qatar and encourages the adoption of healthy and active lifestyles. Visitors are invited to walk through six spaces that evoke the landscape of Qatar. As they discover the park, the market and desert, the beach, city and finally the arena, visitors will participate in a variety of fun challenges.
The museum also will have a café and restaurant that will be operated by the JW Marriott with the menu concepts designed by Chef Consultant Tom Aikens, a UK-born Michelin-star chef and avid marathon runner. The 3-2-1 Café, located on the first floor of the Museum, offers visitors tasty, wholesome, freshly made food and drink options as well as takeaway offerings, said the statement. The restaurant, Naua, is located on the fourth floor of the Museum. Named after the Arabic word for nucleus of the seed, the restaurant promotes mindful, healthy eating.
