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2024/06/27
The Fire Station is a contemporary arts centre designed to foster creative development and promote contemporary art in Qatar. The space is home to a vibrant community of artists in residence, temporary exhibitions, workshops, events, a cafe and even an art shop for supplies.
Originally built in 1982, the building served as the headquarters for Qatar’s first civil defence authority for many decades. Used as a working fire station until 2012, the space was fully transformed by Qatar Museums in 2014, when it reopened as an exciting new arts space in Qatar.
The ambitious regeneration project was led by Ibrahim Al-Jaida, CEO & Chief Architect of the Arab Engineering Bureau. As one of the country’s first “adaptive reuse” projects, the aim was to preserve as much of the building’s original facade and style as possible, while prioritising sustainability.
Today Fire Station features artists’ studios and practical workspaces for makers including a wood working studio and a well-equipped fabrication lab. The various gallery spaces have presented exhibitions by local and international artists and Doha’s Fire Station plays a vital role in Qatar’s contemporary art scene.
One of Fire Station’s most important initiatives is the annual Artist in Residence (AIR) Programme. First launched in 2015, the Fire Station Artist in Residence is an annual nine month programme for up and coming artists in Qatar.
The residency provides each of the chosen artists with a studio space, facilities to develop their work and resources such as mentorship, collaboration with curators and more.
Each new cohort is selected through an open call and all Qatari artists and artists who live in Qatar over the age of 21 are welcome to apply. Every year AIR also puts on a gallery show featuring resident artists, past and present at Fire Station.
Two curators are also selected to take part in a residency at Fire Station each year. In addition to the local artists in residence, Fire Station offers an international residency programme, which sponsors Qatari artists to attend the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.
Fire Station has three main art gallery spaces. The institution’s flagship space, Garage Gallery has hosted a rotating series of exhibitions by some of the most iconic international artists as well as Fire Station's own Artists in Residence.
Gallery 3 and Gallery 4 are dedicated to shorter-term displays, often showcasing works by the institution's own alumni. Set in the Fire Station plaza, Al Markhiya gallery serves as a hub for promoting artists from the Arab world locally and internationally.
Running until June 1st, 2024, Electric Idyll by Pipilotti Rist is a new site-specific exhibition specially created for Fire Station by the esteemed Swiss artist.
Since opening in 2014, Fire Station has welcomed landmark exhibitions by some of the world’s most iconic contemporary artists.
“Figures of Speech,” Virgil Abloh’s inaugural museum exhibition in the Middle East served as a poignant tribute to the renowned American artist and designer following his untimely passing. The pioneering exhibition was a comprehensive exploration of Abloh’s groundbreaking contributions across the visual arts, fashion, music, architecture and design.
The official opening ceremony for the Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture was also held in the courtyard of the Fire Station, kicking off a year of celebrations to mark the initiative’s 10th anniversary.
Other recent exhibitions at Fire Station have included Experience Al Jazeera, about the media network’s growth in the region, and KAWS: HE EATS ALONE, the artist’s first show in the Middle East.
During the Qatar-France 2020 Year of Culture, Fire Station also hosted Picasso’s Studios, a curated selection of artworks that the artist chose to display in his own studio during his lifetime.
Fire Station's Galleries are open from 9am to 7pm, Saturday to Thursday and from 1.30pm to 7pm on Fridays.
Fire Station galleries are only open to the public during periods when exhibitions are running, so visitors are advised to check beforehand. The building, Fire Station Cafe #999 and CASS Art, the Fire Station shop are open to visit even when exhibits are not running.
Entry is free for all Qatar residents (as well as One Pass holders and non-residents under the age of 16). For non-residents over the age of 16, museum entry costs QAR 50, or QAR 25 for students. All tickets include admission to the museum as well as any temporary exhibitions. Book your Fire Station tickets online now.
Fire Station is located a short drive from Doha’s popular Al Bidda Park and Flag Plaza. If visiting by car, there is free parking available onsite for museum visitors, and for those visiting Cafe #999 or CASS Art, parking is free with a minimum spend of QAR100.
If travelling to Fire Station by metro, the nearest station is Corniche station, on the Red line.
Visit other unmissable cultural institutions in Qatar including the impressive Museum of Islamic Art and the Qatar National Library.
See more upcoming events in Qatar and what’s on in Doha as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture.
