Doha (Qatar): The sandy, almost white, walls of the new National Museum of Qatar offer shade and a little respite for visitors from the harsh Middle Eastern sun.
The museum opened its doors to media and VIPs on Wednesday (27 March) ahead of its public opening on Thursday (28 March).
Workers were putting finishing touches to many parts of the museum as journalists were shown around.
It's more than a decade since planning began on this typically grand Qatari project.
The distinctive curves, crescents and unexpected angles of the museum's 'Desert Rose' design have slowly taken shape in recent years.
The design is intended to closely echo the shape of a real Desert Rose (clusters of crystal which form in the desert naturally, in certain conditions).
It's a stunning sight and one of the first things visitors see after they land in Doha and drive away from the airport.
That's one of the reason's the building's architect, Pritzker Prize-winning Jean Nouvel, knew his latest project needed to have a big impact.
"The building has to be a symbol. It has to be with a lot of dignity. It cannot be something fragile. So for a long time. It has to be...the ambition is to be an iconic building and to create a destination" he says.
Those visiting will journey through eleven permanent galleries.
By the time they've seen them all, they'll have walked 1.5 kilometers.
Each gallery tells part of Qatar's story.
Starting in prehistoric times, all the way through to modernity, as Saif Al Kuwari, deputy director of operations for Qatar Museums explains.
"We're trying to tell the story of the region itself. The way the galleries are laid out I mean, act 1 2 and 3, represents the beginning of life. Geologically, archeologically, all the fossils that we have found in Qatar since millions of years. And it goes on, in a very precise timeline. All the way through to our modern day."
To tell this story, Qatar Museum started by inviting hundreds of ordinary Qataris to share their stories and memories of Qatar.
More than 500 on-camera oral history interviews took place. Out of these interactions came a richness of information that formed the basis for the new museum.
In-depth discussions with local and international experts informed the themes that emerged in the exhibition plan.
One of those themes is Qatar's modern-day success story.
Jean Nouvel tried to capture the essence of the country's runaway growth in his architecture.
The recent story of Qatar is one of growth in both economic and cultural expansion.
He wanted the building's design to have a connection with the country's emergence onto the global stage.
"I wanted to talk about modernity, because in Qatar with the adventure of discovery of pearls, and after, oil, and after gas, it's changed totally the scale of the economy. So I wanted with the building and with this program to use the micro-scale - to transform this micro-scale into macro-scale," says Nouvel.
One of the first galleries visitors walk through is called "Qatar's Natural Environments".
It's a cavernous space, featuring exhibits on regional wildlife.
From the Arabian oryx to the sand cat, from the death stalker scorpion to, even, a nine-meter-long whale shark (more than 100 whale sharks have been observed off Qatar's coastline).
The museum is also geared towards providing different kinds of educational opportunities for young students in Qatar
"What's exciting about the National Museum is that there's something for everyone. I mean, it's an overall experience that everyone will enjoy. And no matter if you're a Qatari or a tourist or an expat who's living in Qatar, I guarantee you will find out something that you didn't know about Qatar or its culture" says Al Kuwari.
The building is a symbol of the delicate balance Qatar continues to find between the ancient and modern.
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