Lebanese architect selected for British Museum gallery design project

Lina Ghotmeh aims to reimagine British Museum's galleries, blending historical sensitivity with innovative design in a project expected to reshape its future.

Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh said she wants to transform the British Museum into “a place of connections for the world and of the world”, after she was selected to redesign a third of the London building’s gallery space. Her company Lina Ghotmeh Architecture (LGA) won the competition to redesign its Western Range galleries – wowing the panel with her “archaeological” approach to architectural design.

The galleries house ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Assyrians and Middle Eastern objects along with the disputed Elgin Marbles – which Greece has long campaigned to be returned. Ghotmeh recently completed the Hermes Leather Workshop in Louviers, Normandy, which opened in 2023 and features archways made of bricks, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu and Stone Garden Housing in Beirut.

Lina Ghotmeh’s vision for British Museum’s transformation

Her competition submission for the British Museum said she wanted to “reimagine together, sharing in a connected history to help build a collected future coloured with diversity”. An abstract vision of the proposed design, submitted by Ghotmeh, shows a stripped-back arrangement of the artefacts with archways and flowing space. Ghotmeh, said: “My team and I are thrilled to embark on this journey for the renovation of the Western Range of the British Museum.

“This competition has been an exciting process shaped by dialogue and multiple voices. I am looking forward to continuing this rich and collaborative process as we work towards transforming this section of the museum into an extraordinary space — a place of connections for the world and of the world.” She added that she is “honoured to contribute to this holistic and publicly engaging transformation that will shape the museum’s future in the years to come”.

Ghotmeh, raised in Beirut, is said by the judging panel to have compared the project to an archaeological dig, along with looking at reimaging the story of the building’s future through drawing on its past. The panel also said she has “shown a deep understanding and sensitivity towards the museum, the complexity of collections’ display and artefacts’ interactions with diverse visitor groups”.

A deeply thoughtful and sensitive approach

Former chancellor George Osborne, chairman of the British Museum and the judging panel, said: “We set out to find the best and I believe we’ve found her. In Lina Ghotmeh we have an architect who combines a deep sensitivity to the history of our great collection while being a voice for the future. “We had many outstanding entries – and I thank the other practices for all their hard work – but I can say as chair of the judging panel, she was the standout winner.

“Her design ideas excited and enthused the trustees; when they become real buildings and galleries we know they will excite and enthuse our millions of visitors. “When we moved into our current buildings years ago, 200 years ago the world was wowed. I believe they will be wowed again when this transformation of our great sculpture galleries, and much more, is complete.”

What’s next museum’s grand renovation?

The museum, which launched its search for an architect last year, received more than 60 entries. The final design approach in collaboration with artist Ali Cherri, Plan A, Purcell, Holmes Studio, and Arup, is expected to be shared by mid-2026. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said: “Lina Ghotmeh is an architect of extraordinary grace and gravitas.

“Her team’s proposals demonstrated an exceptional and materially sensitive architectural vision for the British Museum, and their ‘archaeological’ approach clearly understood the ambition for this project to be as much an intellectual transformation as an architectural one.

“Lina and her team have a track record for delivering unique and human-centred design with a timeless elegance. “I am delighted we will be working together and excited for the years ahead at such a pivotal chapter for the museum, embarking on a generationally significant project that will transform a third of our gallery space.”